The Last Song
by Minstrel Knight
Summary: Complete AU. A 30k words story in first person with Harry's thoughts from a hurt child to becoming the greatest hero of Britain. A unique crossover involving Dr. Who and Arthurian legends, an interlink of destinies. Unique HG. Completed.
1. Part 1: Prologue to Chapter 5

**The Last Song**

**Part 1. The Lute that Soothes the Spirit**

**Summary - **A story on Harry's thoughts from a hurt child to becoming the greatest hero of Britain. A unique crossover involving Dr. Who and Arthurian legends. Unique HG

The idea comes from a Blind Guardian song, _'__A Past and Future Secret,__'_ which is also about the Arthurian Legend. I was jogging while listening to this song and as usual, was drifted away to Imaginationland, which I captured in words in between boring project work.

Note: I have finished this story, so it wont be causing delays in my other stories. It's not too long, about 30k words, and started as a distraction from boring college work, but turned out to become something more.

**Prologue - The Biographer**

The history of Britain's magical society is a most complex and intriguing one. By no means the oldest society of its kind, it has however become one of the most prominent and influential in modern days.

The Egyptians were the first to forge a society based on magic, and then, the Chinese and the Indians followed, but they all faded away from existence. Merlin's Britain however, survived long after the echoes of Arthur's war cries faded out of memory. Much is known about those days as the Four Founders had established a great center for learning and knowledge. I read through every single history book, and in the end, I laughed. How fickle the romanticizing minds of men that they paint the strange and alluring truth in shallow colors of their own fantasies. But, as I was saying, these two movements came about almost simultaneously - Camelot and Hogwarts.

Hogwarts. The day Godric the Just, Griffin Hearted, discovered great potential in a young child and took her as his apprentice were the seeds of Britain's future power created. But now this society is corrupted. Its current rulers are guided solely by motives of self-interest, while the common people are lulled into a false sense of security in their hedonist lives. The magical community as an entirety is blinded by an apathetic sense of self-importance. They hide their existence from their non-magical counterparts, with no desire to understand or share in the wonderful discoveries and creations made possible by science. Muggles they call them, not as an insult, but as an isolated community - a barrier is thus created in the human race. A barrier that didn't exist in Arthur's time. Some even seek to bring back the primeval order in which non-magical beings were subservient to magical ones. An order destroyed by Arthur and Merlin.

My pen falters and falls from my grip, and I question the audacity of the task I have undertaken. Perhaps in my old age I have developed a lesser faith in my ability to change the world. Or perhaps I have simply overcome my faith in people. I wonder if my words can create a tangible change in this community's perception of its own importance and potency, but when I touch pen to paper I realize this task is one I can eschew no longer.

My granddaughter was filled with such great enthusiasm whenever a discussion on the magical community held my interest long enough to venture an opinion on it, that I allowed myself to be convinced that writing my thoughts was a worthwhile effort. But now, after several crumpled pieces of parchment, I no longer write in deference to granddaughter's eagerness but rather from a growing belief in my own unfinished role in this world. I have lived a long life. I have seen more than the average man. I have suffered. I have cried and I have laughed, and I have flown into the blue sky with nothing more than a desire to become one with the clouds. I've seen the stars closer than any mortal. I have fallen from a king's throne to the deepest pit in the abyss of human emotions, and I have survived. I have killed and I have saved many lives. I have loved and I have been betrayed. But most importantly - I have lived.

There is a responsibility upon me to let the world know what I have learnt, to gain from my loss, and to look at itself on the mirror that is my life. And so I find myself drifting to my own story rather than a neutral observation of the community.

I am sure I was once an innocent child but my memories do not reach that far. The earliest I recall is of tears falling in the darkness of the cupboard under the stairs, my childhood battlefield of nightmares. Before that, there is nothing; only a vast cavity of darkness torn by shards of green light and a deafening silence, obscured by maniacal laughter. But on that particular day, there is sudden light. And pain.

Sometimes I touch my wrists and almost feel the iron tight grip of my uncle as his fist rammed into my face. Later, I discovered I was famous and there was no magical family in Britain, and perhaps all of Europe, that wouldn't have considered it the greatest honor to have taken me in. All? Perhaps the men who followed the madman who killed my parents would have been less kind. Perhaps they would have killed me in honor of their vanquished master's memory. But they wouldn't… for they knew their master hadn't truly died and would someday resurrect. To present me on that day, molded as one of their own kind, it would have been a greater achievement then delivering a tombstone and a coffin.

But that night I wept in agony. A five year old boy's tears with the realization that he's nothing more than a freak, and has no mummy or daddy to look after him. And for several years, it remained the same, until that fateful night.

I cannot write… It is much too painful to delve too deep in the darkness of my memories. But given a choice now, I would still go through it all, a million times over, for what came next was worth every bit of pain I felt, every last tear I shed. And so I plunge into my own thoughts and see for myself what I once was, and how I became what I am now…

----------

**Chapter 1 - The Uncle**

I heard the cupboard door being opened and started at the sight of my uncle. The only time my uncle ever came to my private cell was as a prelude to a severe beating. I was seven, and horribly scarred. Later I realized it was the magic in my blood that healed the more grievous of my injuries. It was magic that kept me alive. But as a child, I had come to accept the beatings and abuses as part of my life. I was a freak, and freaks needed a good beating.

When my uncle reached for me, I didn't flinch back, knowing it would only make him hit me harder and longer, but to my surprise, he merely took my tiny wrist in the callused roughness of his huge hand and dragged me out. He dragged me out of the house and through the icy cold night, that swept like rain on a dry winter's night, as we reached the graveled pathway outside a dark and gloomy building that was the local pub. I didn't know what a pub was then, but I was scared by the sounds and smells coming from it. But my uncle didn't take me in.

A man was waiting outside, his face partially covered by a lowered hat; a smart coat and dark trousers adorned his lean figure. He was leaning against a big blue box, which I was sure I had never seen the one time I had been taken through that route before. The man regarded my uncle with no emotion or words. His face was a mask of dispassionate gaze comprised solely of something bordering pity and sorrow.

I think that rattled my uncle, and his grip tightened around my wrist. I winced in pain and noticed the strange man look at me curiously. For a second I thought he might be a long lost uncle or a friend of my parents come to take me away my relatives. But then I shuddered.

His eyes… the haunting black eyes were what had made me shudder the instant I had seen him. But when they fell on me, they lightened with much tenderness. He raised a hand, beckoning me closer, and I felt drawn to him. He had truly come for me… my savior.

Still the man said nothing. However, his gaze shifted from me and fell on my uncle. I saw him blink once, and his features hardened somewhat. His hand was still raised, urging me forward. And I would have ran to his side instantly were my uncle not holding me back tightly.

"I've brought the boy to you," was the rusty greeting my uncle afforded the strange man. Dropping my hand, he gripped me by the back of my coat and swung me forward, like an object offered to a prospective buyer. And when the man continued to stare at him, without judgment or even antipathy, my uncle bellowed, "I've fed him at my table for seven years. Doesn't that count for something?"

The man then tilted his other hand and showed a piece of paper to my uncle. I didn't know why he would show a blank paper to my uncle, but I decided it was something meant for older people. I was confirmed when I looked back at my uncle hesitantly and saw his eyes bulge.

"Inside information on which way the stock market is headed tomorrow!" my uncle bellowed in a maniacal rapture. Staring at the strange man, he said loudly, "I don't know how you got that, man, but I must be off now… what luck!" Then he pushed me towards the man, and I stumbled forward. In a flurry of mistimed steps, a desperate bid to regain balance, I found myself sitting on the cold and wet ground, staring at black leather shoes.

A sudden pain shot through my ankle, and I knew I had sprained it while falling. Tears came into my eyes, but not because of the pain. I was used to pain. But it had been a mere week since my leg had healed after being caught in the cupboard door as my uncle slammed it close. Now I would have to drag myself to the toilet through the stairs again, and have Dudley beat me to it. But just then I felt two firm hands on my shoulder, lifting me up, and it was thus that I came face-to-face with the strange man.

I liked him. He looked young. But his eyes were old… and sad. I thought I knew him from somewhere. He seemed so familiar. But then I realized I was just imagining. The only people I knew were my uncle, aunt and Dudley. Oh and Aunt Marge too, and her dogs. But I liked this man's eyes. They were green like mine, but a lighter shade.

"Right then, if that's all, I'd better be off now," my uncle said happily.

The man instantly tore his eyes from me and spoke.

"One day your deeds will come to haunt you, Vernon Dursley."

I liked his voice too. It sounded just like I imagined it would - young and old. Just like his eyes. The ends of my lips turned upwards when I heard him speak. Suddenly I realized I was smiling. My first smile. Then I liked the man even more. He made me smile.

But my uncle wasn't smiling. Instead, he was frowning. I couldn't understand why. Perhaps the man was a freak like me. No… freaks deserved a good beating and my uncle wasn't beating the man. So he couldn't be a freak. Perhaps my uncle just didn't like his voice. But I couldn't understand why. Perhaps I liked it because I was a freak. I trembled and looked at the man fearfully. Freaks deserved a good beating, and at that moment I was sure I was going to get one. But then I decided I would rather be beaten by the man who made me smile than my uncle. And I smiled again. A sadder smile.

The man had a strange expression in his face, and I saw a little wet speck on his eye. He was crying, or about to. I felt like crying too. He made me smile and I was making him cry.

"Are you threatening me, sir?" my uncle asked angrily and I shivered. It was the kicking voice. I quickly moved behind the man who made me smile and hid behind his legs, peering from a side.

"Your ignorance is nearly as great as your arrogance," the man sighed. "It wont be I. Others will come looking for the boy. If you want my advice, run. Run… run as fast as you can, as far as you can." He sounded tired now. He moved, and putting a hand on my forehead, brought me closer. He then picked me up and placed my head on his shoulder.

"You are safe with me," the man whispered in my ear, and I nearly cried. He sounded so sad. But I was lost. What did that mean? Why was he hugging me? I knew what a hug was. Aunt Marge would always shout loudly for her Diddly Dunkydums to give her a hug. But freaks didn't get a hug. Didn't the nice man know that?

"Now look here," my uncle said, turning back hesitatingly. He looked at me strangely, in a manner he had never done before and stuttered, "L-Look… we never asked to h-have that freak dumped on us in the first place."

"He is not a freak," the man said firmly, and I stared up at him.

"Am fweak," I corrected him sadly. He had mistaken me for someone else. He was not my savior, someone else's. I turned away teary-eyed, expecting to be placed back on the ground and back to my uncle. Who would want a freak?

The man turned instantly to face me and I shifted in his arms, struggling to be let down. I was the wrong person. But he didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his hold on me, and then I decided that I really liked him - the man who would hug a freak.

"Harry Potter, you are no freak," the man said while looking at me. I stared at him blankly even as tears continued flowing from my eyes. Who was Harry Potter? Was Harry Potter the person he was looking for? How I wished I could be Harry Potter! Then I wouldn't have to go back with my uncle. But I wasn't.

"I should have come earlier… much earlier."

I didn't understand what he meant, but I cried. I wanted so much to be the person he had come for, and yet I knew I was not. I looked at him despondently and wiped my tears with my dirty sleeves. My eyes began feeling heavy and my head light. And without realizing, I fell asleep in the embrace of a strange man. But, a man who made me smile.

----------

**Chapter 2 - The Doctor**

I woke up and shut my eyes tightly. It was bright inside my cupboard. I frowned. It was never bright inside my cupboard. Then I realized I wasn't in my cupboard and got up in fear. I looked around me. It was a strange place, full of strange lights and strange buttons.

"Good morning, Harry."

I heard a voice from behind me and turned instantly to see the nice man who hugged me and made me smile. He still thought I was Harry Potter, and once again I longed to be this Harry. But I wasn't. And despite what Aunt Marge said, I wasn't a liar.

"Am not 'Arry," I explained to him sorrowfully. "Am fweak."

The man walked closer and knelt next to me. He smiled. I liked his smile. It made me want to smile too. But I couldn't. Instead, I felt my eyes dampening once again. I wasn't Harry Potter. But then he opened his arms and I crept in. The man who would hug a freak.

"Listen to me, lad," the man said gently, while patting my head. I liked him patting me. When I was younger, I wished my uncle would pat me like he did Dudley. One day he raised his hand and I was happy. I thought I was going to be patted. That was the last time I had hoped to be touched by my uncle, or anyone else either. And not until today… yesterday, did I finally be touched by someone without crying afterwards.

He was saying something, but I didn't listen. I just liked his voice. It felt like music, only much nicer. It was like honey, only much sweeter. But I couldn't tell, I didn't know how sweet honey was. Perhaps a bit like both. I really liked his voice. The man who patted me.

"… and that is how I… hang on, you're not listening to me, are you?" he looked at me as I shook my head. I wasn't a liar. He stayed silent for a second or perhaps two seconds, I couldn't tell. Then he laughed. He laugh was unlike that of my uncle and aunt. He laughed like the wind - gently, and yet without any hindrance. Loud, and yet without any interference.

"Fantastic!" he said loudly, picking me up again. He whirled me around in the air and I screamed in delight. I was smiling again. "A man after my own heart! If it's not funny, then it's not worth hearing! Brilliant!"

I stared back at him in confusion. I was a boy. Not a man. I said so. But he only laughed all the more. I didn't know why he laughed, but I couldn't help joining in. I wanted to see how it felt too. So I laughed with him.

He was no longer the man who made me smile. Or the man who hugged a freak. He was now the man who made me laugh.

"Come on then, Harry! Lets find you some decent clothes," he said, putting me back on the floor. Then he turned around and started running, "Race you to the Wardrobe!"

I ran and I beat him. He was always a few steps ahead, but when he pointed out the final door, I was faster than him. But he didn't mind losing. He grinned at me. I think I wouldn't have minded him winning either.

"Now lets see…" he said, looking at the piles of clothes in the Wardrobe. "Twenty-first century pinstripe suits, finest quality Italian cotton… I guess not entirely appropriate for a seven year old." He started picking clothes and dropping them, one after the other, muttering to himself.

I started looking around. His wardrobe had more clothes than Aunt Petunia's. He even had something that looked like a rabbit. It was light blue, and had a mask with two long fluffy ears. I liked that. I picked it up and tugged at the man's coat. He dropped the t-shirt and pants in his hands and looked at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"No way!" he said in disbelief, and I clutched the rabbit costume closer to my heart.

"Noooo," he said, but I knew it wasn't in denying me the dress. His 'no' had lasted for several seconds, but he was smiling all along. I really liked his smile. "No! No! No. No… no… oh, all right! You can be a rabbit."

Minutes later, after several frustrating attempts, he finally got me in the rabbit costume. I was happy. I liked being a rabbit. It was much better than being a freak.

"How about some breakfast now, Harry Bunny?" he asked with a smile. I was about to tell him that I wasn't Harry, but then I remembered I already had. And I _was_ a bunny. I couldn't deny that. Perhaps I _was_ Harry Bunny. I liked that name.

"What would you like? Carrot-ala-King? Or, some plain bacon and eggs?"

I looked at him wide eyed. I only had burnt toast for breakfast. I told him so. His smile dimmed, and I wished I hadn't told him that. I liked his smile. It reminded me of a dream I once had.

The dream started off bad. Angry screams and hideous laughter… oh, and lots of green light. But it got better. There was a flying motor bike and a pussy cat. But before that, there was something else. Something that reminded me of the man's smile. I told my uncle once about this dream. That was when he raised his hand and I thought he was going to pat me for saying something clever. He didn't pat me.

I looked at the man sadly, but he smiled again.

"A fry-up it is, then!" he exclaimed. "Seventy five thousand six hundred and twenty nine different breakfast cuisines… and nothing quite like ye olde English grub!" He led me down the interconnecting passages and corridors to another room. It looked like a kitchen and I immediately walked to the stove. I knew my chores. I was good at them.

"And what do you think you are doing, Mr. Bunny?" the man asked curiously. I told him I was making breakfast. He sighed but I didn't know why. I liked making breakfast. I was good at it, and I told him so.

"You might be the next Jamie Oliver for all I care," he said seriously. "But nobody, and I mean _nobody_, makes breakfast in _here_. And it is not a matter of choice… you just don't _make_ breakfast." He pressed a button as he finished speaking, and two plates appeared on the table, full of food. "It makes itself." He finished speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but I didn't listen. I couldn't believe my eyes, and I almost said the M word. Luckily, I didn't. But he did.

"And it's not magic, if that's what you're thinking. It's technology… far superior than your time. But in about a thousand… what's wrong?"

I looked at him horrified, edging back slowly. He said the M word. How could he! I thought he was a nice man. But he said the M word. I ran away to a far corner and started crying. I didn't notice him coming near me and touch my temples with a finger each. I didn't notice, because my head was filled with images of my uncle beating me the first time I said the M word.

The man who patted me was as bad as me. He deserved a good beating, but I didn't want him to be beaten. He made me laugh. He made me a bunny instead of a freak. And now he said the M word. He needed to be beaten. I didn't want him to be beaten. I cried.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry," the man said after while, and I realized my head was buried in his shoulder. I looked up and decided it didn't matter if he was a freak like me. I wouldn't beat him. I would _never_ beat him. And my uncle wasn't there. I told him that, and he held me tighter.

"Little Bunny, listen to me now," he said seriously and his voice was full of grief. "You are not a freak. You are Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Evans, grandson of Billy Evans and Sarah-Jane Smith. You are _not _a freak. _Not. A. Freak.__"_

I shook my head. My uncle had told me the truth long ago. I knew who I was. "Fweak," I said obstinately.

"Not a freak!" he said firmly.

"Fweeeak," I whined.

The man sighed. This time I knew why he sighed. He believed me finally. He had realized his error. I looked down in sorrow, but I felt his hand lift my chin up. He was kneeling next to me, and his eyes were full of tears. He was muttering something I couldn't hear clearly, but I heard a 'sorry' and a 'Sarah-Jane'.

"How about a compromise then?" he said after a while. "Not Harry, and definitely not freak… lets stick with… uhm… uh… Bunny? Alright? Are you a bunny, Mr. Rabbit?"

I touched my long rabbit ears and nodded. I was a bunny. I couldn't deny it. That would be lying. I think that was the right answer because he smiled again.

"Spiffing!" he said happily and picked me up. "Hmm… I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something. Mind you, I don't usually forget things… much higher brain capacity than a human, you know… but parenthood? It's been so long." He kept on talking for but I didn't understand what he was saying. I didn't care. I liked his voice. But he suddenly stopped then, and I turned to him curiously.

He was looking at me with a big smile, and said, "Introduction, I'm the Doctor, and welcome, Little Bunny Rabbit, to my TARDIS!" He didn't say more, and I didn't need him to. That's what he was… then and always… my doctor.

----------

**Chapter 3 - The Bunny**

Life with the Doctor in the TARDIS was full of excitement for a little bunny. He would take me to the most wondrous places, show the most wondrous things, and meet the most wondrous people. People who didn't call me freak. People who dressed like me. He called it Disneyland. But Aunty Enid was the best.

It was a week after I agreed to be a bunny instead of a freak that the Doctor took me to Aunty Enid, but I don't think she was quite as old as he thought she would be. She looked younger than him, but she was nice to me. She was very nice to me. She told the most wonderful stories where little boys like me would get into trouble and not be beaten. I asked her why that was so, and she glared at the Doctor. They went away, leaving me alone with milk and cookies. I like cookies. I had never eaten them before and Aunty Enid made nice cookies. She told nicer stories.

When they came back, I saw Aunty Enid's eyes were red. I asked her why she was crying. The Doctor never made me cry. He made me smile… and laugh. She hugged me. I patted her head, like the Doctor patted me when I cried.

I then told her a story. It was about a Bunny and his Doctor finding a TARDIS that took them to far-off places. She asked what a TARDIS was, and then I remembered the Doctor had told me to keep it secret. I clasped my mouth shut with my hand and looked at the Doctor, who raised an eyebrow at me.

"It's a chair, Aunty," I said suddenly, struck by inspiration. "Like the one we're sitting on. TARDIS means wishing-chair. No. No. It means a tree. TARDIS is a tree… a faraway tree." Then Aunty Enid became quiet, deep In thought, and the Doctor looked at me with a big smile.

Later that day, I asked the Doctor why I didn't have a mummy and a daddy. All the kids in Aunty Enid's stories had a mummy and a daddy. He looked at me sadly, and said, "I'm sorry, Little Bunny. In all of time and space, the one place where you most need to be is the one place I cannot take you. The error in precision of the TARDIS… it might be years before we lock the specific coordinates to James and Lily, or even Sarah-Jane. I will not make that mistake again. Never again."

I didn't understand, but I was a bunny. And bunnies don't have to understand doctors. That was fine. I wouldn't be beaten for it. The Doctor would never beat me anyway.

"But perhaps… I can take you somewhere else… I would need something to lock a highly precise coordinate, with little or no margin for error," he said more to himself than me, and I knew it. I could tell when he was speaking to himself by the look in his eye. It would lose its hold on my eyes as if he were looking at something miles and miles away. He had that look when he spoke and I didn't listen to him. I didn't need to. Bunnies like to play and hide… not listen.

"I could take you someplace where you will find a loving home… someone who would never mistreat you… In fact… I remember now… I understand… I will take you to someone who can give you the stability that a wanderer such as I cannot… someone who needs you as much as you need…" he turned to me suddenly, only I wasn't there any longer. Bunnies like to hide.

"Not again! Come on out, Mr. Bunny, wherever you are! The Doctor's gonna find you!" he yelled merrily and I chortled, which wasn't a good thing because it gave me away. The Doctor found me. I tried running, but he was faster.

"Not now, Bugs," he said. "I need a hair from your head to lock a coordinate based on your genetic signature." I didn't understand but bunnies don't need to understand Doc… wait, I think I've said that already. So I just shrugged as the Doctor pulled a hair out of my head. It didn't hurt. He never hurt me. Except once.

"I can't get a lock on her genetic signature," he said after a while. I looked up from the toy train Aunty Enid had given me. The Doctor was standing by the big table with the fancy buttons and lights. The only time I had touched the buttons was when he told me to. He had told me not to do so without him because then we would get in trouble. And bunnies don't like to get in trouble.

"Come on, TARDIS, get a lock… that's it, sweetheart… a bit closer… come on, try harder… No! No! No! Damn! Not there!"

The big table made some sounds but then the light faded and the Doctor sank to the ground. I didn't like seeing him sad. So I went to him and asked, "You wan' an'ther hair?"

He looked at me distractedly, "Wont help. No, another hair is not… Wait a second! That's it! Oh! You genius! You clever little rabbit! Another hair! That's exactly what we need!" He jumped up and started pushing more buttons. I looked at him strangely. He had forgotten to take another hair from me.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" he yelled to the table. He always talked to it. I tried it once. But I got no response. Perhaps the table only spoke to the Doctor and not to bunnies. "For God's sake if he exists at all, I mean, and I highly doubt that. Who in their right mind would believe in an omnipotent being with a penchant towards… anyway, that was an entirely pointless expletive… C'mon TARDIS! The boy needs it! Please! Pretty please!"

I didn't like the Doctor begging like that. At least, not alone. So I joined him, and said, "Please."

I think the table heard either him or me, or both, and the lights started flashing again. There was that strange noise which still frightened me a bit, and I took the Doctor's hand.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! You marvelous, beautiful, splendid creation," he shouted happily at the table. "Thank you! Thank you!"

I looked at the Doctor, then at the table, and minding my manners also said, "Thank you." That made him turn to me instantly, and he laughed.

"Nine hundred, going on thousand… that's how long it took to find a non-Gallifreyan who talked to the TARDIS." Then picking me up, he hollered, "You, my dear Harry Bunny, are going to step out and meet your destiny."

---------

**Chapter 4 - The Crying Girl**

I did step out. I didn't know what he wanted me to find. I was near a pond. There were many trees around and blue skies above. I thought for a second that I was in the Enchanted Woods that Aunty Enid and I talked of. But then I remembered that was only a story. Even bunnies know that made-up stories aren't always real. That was when I saw her. The crying girl.

She was sitting crouched near the pond, her head between her legs and covered by her hands. The soft noises and slow rocking of her back was how I knew she was crying. She had red hair. I like red hair. It reminds of another dream I once had. A woman with red hair, singing a song to me. I liked her voice. The woman in my dream, I mean. I hadn't yet heard the crying girl's voice. So I couldn't tell if I liked it. But I didn't like anyone crying. It reminded me of my uncle beating me. So I walked closer and sat down on a stone next to her.

"Why'r you cryin'?" I asked her.

Without lifting her head to look at me, she wailed, "Go away! I'm not coming back!"

I didn't go away because she didn't ask nicely. But I didn't mind her rudeness, and I don't I would have gone anyway. I know how it feels when you're crying. I reached out and patted her back like the Doctor patted me and I patted Aunt Enid.

She stopped moving when I touched her, and lifted her head up. Seeing me, she wiped her tears away. I know how it feels to be caught crying by others. Mrs. Figg down the road once saw me crying and gave me a chocolate. I hated it. Being seen, that is, not the chocolate. The chocolate was nice.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, and I stared at her incredulously.

Pointing to my big bunny ears, I declared proudly, "Am a bunny wabbit!"

She made a strange laughing noise… a giggle, I think. It was different from the Doctor's because she was much smaller and a girl. But it made me feel happy too, and I said, "Doctor calls me 'Arry sometimes, but I'm a bunny."

"You're silly," she said, still laughing. I was glad. She had stopped crying. Nobody should cry.

"I'm not!" I said, but then my eyes lowered. "My uncle says I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak," the girl suddenly said, and I felt glad someone other than the Doctor and Aunt Enid felt the same. But they were all wrong. I was a freak. I was only a pretend bunny. I said so.

"You're not a freak," the girl said angrily. "You're a bunny! I can see your ears!"

I laughed at that. She was right. I was a bunny with bunny ears. Then I realized something. We could be friends. All the kids in Aunt Enid's stories had friends. "Will you be my friend?" I asked.

The girl stared at me for a few seconds in silence and I felt sad. Of course she wouldn't. Who was I kidding, I was a freak. I got up and turned to go, and felt tears coming back to my eyes. But just then I felt something grab my hand. Someone, not something. It was the girl.

"I was crying because I had no friends," she said suddenly and I turned to her. "I would love to be friends with a bunny rabbit."

I told her, "I have no friends either, but I didn't cry because of that. I cry because I'm a freak and freaks deserve a good beating."

"No," she shouted and she started crying again. "You're not a freak! You're not a freak!"

It was then that I decided I would never be a freak ever again. No matter what. I was a bunny. Not a freak. I wanted the crying girl to stop crying. So I told her that. I would not be a freak if she stopped crying. And we became friends.

"I'm Ginny," she said. "Ginny Weasley."

"I'm Bunny," I said. "Bunny Rabbit. The Doctor calls me Harry Bunny."

"Harry?" she said thoughtfully. "I like that name… my father tells me stories of another boy named Harry. I like your name."

I smiled and decided I liked the name too, if my first friend liked it. I would be Harry from now on. It wasn't a bad name. I could still be a bunny… a bunny named Harry.

Ginny told me about herself. Her family was big and she had many brothers. But they teased her a lot, and I couldn't understand why. If I had a little sister, I would love her and play with her, like I played with my toy train. I would never tease her. I would pat her too. I told her that and she smiled at me. I liked her smile. Almost as much as I liked the Doctor's. But while the Doctor's was timeless and wise and protective, Ginny's was young and innocent and friendly. Then she asked me about my family.

So I told her I had no mummy and daddy. She cried when I told her about my uncle. But then I talked about the Doctor and Aunty Enid, and she stared at me.

"Enid Blyton?"

I said yes. That was her full name. I didn't understand why she stared at me like that.

"_Enid Blyton_?" she asked again.

I said yes again.

"You lie!" she accused. "Enid Blyton used to live years ago."

"I am not a liar," I shouted, getting up. "I am not a liar! I am not a liar!" No matter what Aunt Marge says, I am not a liar. I couldn't believe Ginny, like Aunt Marge, thought I was a liar. She was my friend, wasn't she?

"He is not a liar," a voice came from behind and the Doctor came into view. I ran to him and he patted me again, between my long rabbit ears. "You are not a liar, Little Bunny, but neither is Ginny. Have you forgotten what the TARDIS is?" Realization dawned on me. Ginny didn't know that I lived in the TARDIS, a time machine. She _was_ my friend.

I looked at Ginny, who looked ashamed of herself. I knew she still didn't believe me but she was ashamed of making me upset. That's what I would feel if I made the Doctor upset, even if I had done or said nothing wrong. But the Doctor never stopped hugging me or smiling at me. So I ran to Ginny and hugged her. She looked surprised at first, but then she smiled also. We were still friends.

"Ginevra Weasley," the Doctor said slowly. "Your young friend here needs some help from you. We need to go somewhere, but for that we need a hair from your head."

"What?" she asked, suddenly scared of the strange man. "Why? Who are you?" But I touched her hand, and she relaxed. Friends can do that to each other.

The Doctor smiled. "I'm the Doctor… and I'm taking Harry to a place where his heart is. I have this really annoying… traveling vehicle… which brought us to you so we could power it with a hair from your head."

"For Harry?" she asked cautiously, clutching my hand tightly. I liked that. "Are you taking him away? Can't he stay?"

I wanted to stay too. I told them that but was ignored. I didn't like being ignored. Best friends shouldn't be ignored, and I said that too. Then Ginny turned to me and hugged me tightly. I liked her. I liked her smell too. It was sweet, like flowers.

"I'm sorry, kids…" the Doctor said, and I knew he truly was. It was his sad voice. "Harry isn't safe here. There are many bad men out to hurt him… Ginny, please," he begged, and Ginny finally relented. She pulled out a hair from her head and handed it to the Doctor reluctantly.

"Will I see Harry again?" she asked fearfully, but the Doctor smiled his best smile. I know that one too. It's the one he reserves for when he is truly pleased about something.

"I promise you, my dear child. You and Harry will definitely meet again."

---------

**Chapter 5 - The Lady**

I was somewhat annoyed with him. He took me to Ginny, showed me the promise of a beautiful friendship, and then took me away. Not only miles and miles, but years and years away. I wasn't speaking to him. I had pulled my big bunny ears down and stuck it down. That was my way of saying that I wasn't listening to his excuses.

But when I heard him sigh sorrowfully, I felt bad. I pulled my ears out and walked to him. I opened my arms, wanting to be lifted up. He complied happily… my Doctor.

Ginny's hair went next to mine in the table with the buttons. He pushed more buttons and allowed me to push a few as well. He even let me help him with the final lever. It was heavy, but together we managed to do it. I don't think I could have done it alone.

The TARDIS moved again, I suppose through time and space, as that is what it's supposed to do. When it stopped moving, we left the Blue Box and looked around. It was a strange place, and there were strange men around us. Men in horses, wearing strange clothes

"Stop!" the Doctor yelled, when I tried to run closer to a horse.

"Strangers, identify yourself!" a loud voice bellowed, and one of the men jumped out from atop his horse. "And by what devilry do you move your strange carriage?"

The Doctor looked at him, at the other men, at me, and then at the TARDIS, which was a big blue box from outside. Don't ask me how it could have so much space on the inside. I would say 'it's magic'… the Doctor told me there's nothing wrong with the M word… but the Doctor says 'it's technology'.

"I'm the Doctor and this little rabbit here is my ward," he said calmly. "Who are you? And more importantly, where are we?"

The man opened his mouth but before he could speak, there was a loud noise from behind, and I turned to it. There was a horse and a carriage attached to it. The door of the carriage opened, and a slender hand came out, followed by a slender figure. A lady was standing in front of us. She was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen, and I blushed. Shyly, I moved behind the Doctor, hiding myself from her view.

"How is this possible?" she uttered. There was something familiar about her voice and face but I couldn't quite place what. "Dear Lord!" she gasped. "What have I done!" Taking a deep breath, she leaned back on the carriage.

I looked at the Doctor, who was staring at the woman blankly. Finally, he smiled. "Guinevere, the White Lady of Britain, Wife of King Arthur, Queen of Camelot, Queen of Britain… fancy meeting you here!"

"Doctor!" she cried in disbelief. Then she looked at me, turned to the Doctor, back at me, and gasped for breath. "Doctor, how is this possible? No! Please, no… tell me this is not real… no… what have I done! My Arthur! My poor Arthur! It was I who betrayed you… twice over…"

I didn't understand what was going on, but I was just a bunny… no, I was Harry now, not a bunny. I had given my word to Ginny. I suppose I should get out of the bunny dress. I didn't want to. I liked it.

But then I realized I hadn't introduced myself to the beautiful lady and felt mortified. She must think me to be really rude. So I gathered my courage and ran up to her. I said, "I'm Bunny, ma'am. But Ginny calls me Harry. Pleased to meet you."

She looked at me strangely, and then she hugged me. I was confused. Why was everybody hugging me suddenly? Not that I minded it, no… I loved it! Especially from such a grand lady with red hair that reminded me of Ginny. I smiled at her the best smile I could manage. She ran her fingers through my hair and leaning down, kissed my forehead. That was the first time someone kissed me. I was happy. I told her.

She got up suddenly and turned to the Doctor. "You play with the lives and happiness of so many… I do not know whether to thank you or curse you, Doctor. Your meddling has been the cause of all my woes, and yet without you, my life would have little meaning, little joy. You are abysmally foul, with all the promises you show which then you break in less than a heartbeat. You tear lives apart. I should curse you. But…" she looked at me and then back the Doctor. "But…"

"Then do neither, My Lady," the Doctor said kindly. He understood the lady very well. But that's because he's the Doctor, and that's what he's best at. He always understand me very well. "This child needs love and care and stability, none of which I can provide him adequately." I didn't understand. What were they talking about? I hated being ignored, so I tugged the silky dress of the beautiful lady. She didn't respond, but distractedly pulled me to her bosom. I suppose I don't mind being ignored _that much_.

"Harry," the lady looked at me finally. She had finished talking with the Doctor. "Harry, would you like to stay with me?"

I looked at her in shock. I turned to the Doctor. He was looking at me sadly. I felt scared. Was he leaving me? I couldn't leave him. He was the man who made me smile.

"Doctor," I said sulkily. "Doctor! Doctor!"

The lady looked at me sadly, and I felt bad. I didn't think my saying 'no' would hurt her so much. She was nice. And she was the lady who kissed me. So I raised my head and kissed her cheek. She pulled me close and held me for a few seconds. I realized she was crying. Whoever heard of a queen crying? It was then that I realized that people cry, and it wasn't something to be ashamed of. But I still didn't want the lady to cry, so I patted her like I had patted Ginny earlier that day.

The lady stopped crying and looked at me curiously. It was then that I heard _that_ sound… and my heart nearly stopped… In pure horror, I tore myself from her hand violently and turned around, but the Doctor had left.

The TARDIS was disappearing before my eyes. I shouted. I screamed. I lashed around. I think I hit the lady, and later I was very sorry. But then I didn't care. I needed the Doctor. I ran to the TARDIS, but it had disappeared. I fell to the ground and cried. No, I wailed. I wailed for the Doctor.

I didn't notice when the lady picked me up. I don't remember crying in her arms for hours as my tears soaked her shoulder. I don't even remember the journey to her Castle, or being led to a room that became my own for the next five years. I wailed all the time. I wailed for him… my doctor… the man who hurt me more than anyone ever could…

----------


	2. Part 2: Chapter 6 to 13

**Author's Note - **I suppose the premise of this story is altered from both canons, as Sarah Jane must be at least decade older to be Lily's mother, and even more so if she had her adventures with the Doctor. But what can I say other than this is a complete AU, and that little thing only serves to show an indirect link between the Doctor and Harry that might directly bring some sort of paternal feelings towards the boy. Other than that, this doesn't play any part in the story.

**The Last Song**

**Part 2. Branches that Quiver in the Sun**

**Chapter 6 - The Growing Boy**

I never did get over the hurt from that day. Not for all the years I spent in the care of the Lady Guinevere. The first night was the worst. As I slept teary-eyed on a soft feathered bed of rich silks, I wished I had never met the Doctor. I wished I had remained a freak with my uncle in that horrible cupboard. It would have been less painful. It had to.

The Doctor showed me such wonders, such beauty; he showed me what life was, and love. He showed me how to live, how to laugh, and then when I thought I was going to be happy, he abandoned me. But what I missed most wasn't the wonderful places he would take me, or the wonderful people we would meet. No. I missed his smile, and his gentle patting of my head. I knew then that I looked at him as a father. I yearned for him to come back and say he missed his Little Bunny.

But he didn't. All he left behind was a letter. The Lady read it to me. In it the Doctor said he was sorry but he had to do this. He said I would meet him again. Him. And another like him. Another Doctor. He told me to have faith in him. That he loved me, and he would return.

But even if he returned, he would not find a bunny anymore.

That night I removed my bunny costume and tore it to pieces. Later, I regretted it. But I couldn't stand the thought of being someone else's bunny. No, I would never be a bunny rabbit again.

But he was right. I needed a mother. Having grown up with my uncle, I had been stunted emotionally. The Doctor, I realize, was too magnificent a being to be able to give me what I needed most. No, he would have tried but he would have done a bit too much. Perhaps he was once a father, but he couldn't be mine. After a year of living with the Lady… she had been uncomfortable when I called her mummy though she loved me dearly, so I took to simply calling her Lady… after a year of living with the Lady, I decided that the Doctor had never been my father. He was beyond such relationships. In fact, he was just that… my doctor. And I knew in my heart that he hadn't abandoned me, his Little Bunny, and he would come back some day. And then I would join him in his travels.

The Lady was most gentle with me. She treated me with much care and devoted her entire time and effort to my upbringing. She would teach me things, and she would play with me. But at nights, she would cry. I knew that, but at first she didn't know that I knew. I would sneak out of my bed, which was in a chamber next to her, and walk through the interconnecting door to sleep on the floor of her chamber. I liked being close to her, though I didn't like her crying. I never did manage to lose my dislike of seeing people I love cry.

One day, it was truly bad. She kept crying and moaning, "My Arthur, my poor Arthur. Please forgive me. I miss you so much. Please come to me." I couldn't take it any more. I didn't care who this Arthur was, but he had no right to make the nice Lady cry. And if Arthur wasn't there to pat her when she was crying, at least I was.

So I went up to her and told her that. She looked at me with more love than I could imagine. Her eyes were moist and wide, and I knew she loved me, at least as much she loved Arthur. But I was like a son. That night I slept next to her. I liked that. I always imagined how it must feel like for a little boy to sleep next to his mother. It was warm and we snuggled close.

She taught me how to read and write, and I told her of the stories I heard from Aunty Enid. She smiled and asked me if I had any friends. That reminded me of Ginny and I felt sad. I missed her. I told the Lady, and she smiled.

I told her Ginny was my best friend and I would marry her someday. Her eyes bulged at that.

"Really?" she asked with some amusement. I didn't like her tone. She was making fun of me.

I folded my arms and said, "Yes. She's my best friend and she's prettier than anyone else I've seen… except you, but you don't count. But," my eyes darkened as a terrible thought occurred to me, "What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if she finds another best friend? What if she forgets about me?" I was so distressed I couldn't eat or sleep for two days. It took the Lady that long to convince me that Ginny would be having the same thoughts as me. And if I didn't eat and sleep, I wouldn't grow big enough to be able to marry her. That made me determined. I would eat and sleep, and grow big enough to marry Ginny someday.

----------

**Chapter 7 - The Old Man**

I was twelve years old when it happened. I was being trained how to wield a sword by the Lady's Chief Guard. His name was Bors, and he was a big fellow with a horrible scar on his head. But he was also the nicest of the guards. Though, he also looked the scariest. But he taught me how to fight with wooden swords since I was ten. The first time he taught me how to hold a real sword, I was twelve.

He grumbled that I was small for my age, and the sword he gave me was much heavier than it should be. He was right. It fell from my hands and on his feet, and he bellowed in pain. I was scared and I ran.

I ran from the gardens behind the Castle to a narrow gap in the wall, which I had seen from my room up high. I knew exactly where it was, and I ran. Slipping out, I made for the woods. It was deep and dark, and I should have been more scared, but Aunty Enid's tales about Enchanted Woods came to my mind. Gone were all thoughts about running, all fears about punishment, all concerns about anything but the desire to find a magical tree that would take me to far-off lands. So I wandered here and there, aimlessly.

I saw an animal. I think it was a fox, and it came to me. I was a little scared, but not much. After all, I was twelve and I was growing to be big and strong so I could marry Ginny. A little fox shouldn't scare me. But it did… a little. So I stumbled and fell. Then I saw a stone next to me and I threw it at the fox.

Seeing the fox run away squealing, I felt horrible. It was only a little fox. I could have hurt it. It wasn't even bothering me. It was I who was the beast, not the fox. Then I decided I would never be the beast again. I would be like… a doctor, someone who looks after and cares for people and animals. I would never hurt animals again. Feeling disgusted at myself and ashamed of what the Lady would say if she found out, I started wandering again. I wandered until light faded and it became cold and dark. Then I decided to return. But I didn't know which way was home.

I looked around and realized I was lost and started crying. I hadn't cried for two years, but this was a good reason to cry I think, and I'm not ashamed of it. But then I heard something, and I couldn't believe my ears. It was the same unearthly whirling sound that had plagued my childhood fantasies for years. It was the TARDIS. The Doctor. He had come back. Looking for the source of the sound, I ran straight to my right, and there it was, behind a tree. The Blue Box.

"Doctor!" I yelled in delight. "Doctor!" I ran straight to the TARDIS and threw the door open, and got the shock of my life. It wasn't the Doctor.

"Who are you? Where's the Doctor?" I demanded somewhat rudely, I'm sorry to recall, especially as the person I was talking to was a frail old man with white hair.

"Mm… What's that, my boy?" the man asked. But then he looked at me and said, "A boy? In _my_ TARDIS? And what did you just say?"

"Nothing," I said, disappointed. No, devastated. This wasn't the Doctor, just some stranger. "I thought you were someone else. Someone I knew. I'm sorry, sir."

"No, sir," the man protested. "You called me Doctor. How would you know of my name?"

"It's not your name!" I protested. How dare this old man pretend to be the Doctor! "I've seen the Doctor and I know him. He was… he was…" I looked at the TARDIS. It was the same and yet so different, and I couldn't help it. I started sobbing.

"Interesting," the old man was saying, though I didn't pay attention. "You are keyed into the TARDIS - _My_ TARDIS. Only I have the authority to do that. So it follows that it must have been me who keyed you in. But nobody can rewrite history. Not one line. Then how?" He came to me and patted my head. I looked up, surprised. He wasn't my Doctor, and yet he was. Pats don't lie.

"Doctor?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes, that is who I am - the Doctor… _A _Doctor, but not your Doctor, I would imagine, that is to say, not the Doctor you knew," he coughed and I thought he was a bit ill.

"Are you okay?" I asked in concern. I didn't understand what he said, but if the TARDIS accepted him, then he couldn't be all bad. After all, the TARDIS _was_ alive. I said so, and he smiled.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked, and I nodded eagerly. I nodded eagerly, the TARDIS made the most lovely hot chocolates you could imagine.

"I'll get it," I volunteered politely and without waiting for a response, pressed the buttons for the drink. Only, instead of a drink, the lights started flashing and a familiar sound fell on my ears. I jumped back, shocked. "B-But… that was the kitchen dispenser of the TARDIS."

The Doctor stared at me. "A kitchen dispenser in the Console Room? What a fabulous idea! Why didn't I think of it before?" Then he looked at the control table and shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that. The TARDIS is becoming too temperamental. There is no saying where we have been taken off to."

I hesitated before asking, "But we can go back, can't we? You can take us back?" I asked desperately. The Lady would be so worried, and she would be missing me. I missed her already.

The old man walked to the door and opened it. "Perhaps. But not until I've seen where we are now. I've missed one destination because of your interfering. I'm not missing yet another one." He stepped out, and I followed him.

"It's the crowning," he whispered in a low voice. I looked at him in confusion. "It's the crowning of Arthur of Camelot as King of Britain. Shh."

I frowned at that name. Arthur was the same man who made the Lady Guinevere cry at nights. I didn't like him very much, but I suppose he couldn't have been all that bad if the Lady loved him so much. Anyway, I shut up and observed the ceremony. But I was more interested in the group of red robed men in a corner. I turned to the strange old Doctor but I couldn't ask him my question. He was looking at me strangely. He turned back to the ceremony, and then to me, his face pale. I looked at him curiously but he raised a finger to his lips. I decided to listen to him. He slowly led me out of the place and back to the TARDIS.

"We must get out of here," he muttered. "What a mess! The other me had better have a really good reason to be meddling with time in such a haphazard manner. _I_ would never do something like that. How Dreadful! An open circle! How is it to be closed?"

---------

**Chapter 8 - The Haunted Girl **

The old man spent quite a while before getting the TARDIS moving. I decided he wasn't quite as clever as my Doctor, but I began liking him too. He could be nice when he wasn't being rude. I offered to help him, but he refused. And he was rude about it. I didn't like him for a moment then. But other than that, he was nice.

"The TARDIS seems to lock you to certain coordinates based on genetic signatures, two distinct ones mind you. Certainly one of them must be the place where you need to be. All ready then? Hang on! Here we go!"

Well, that certainly proved it. He was _a bit_ like my Doctor. I grabbed onto the TARDIS as it whirled through space and time, and I realized I was in my own Magic Faraway Tree of Aunty Enid's imagination. Only it was called the TARDIS and the Doctor was my Enchanted Wood.

When the TARDIS stopped buzzing with life and electricity, I ran to the door and flung in open. Stepping out, I gasped. I wasn't back in the woods near the Lady's Castle. No, I was… actually, I didn't know where I was, except that it was in a stony lair - cavernous and ominous. But that wasn't what caught my attention - a few feet away from me was someone I had longed to see for years, and someone I dearly wished was not there at that moment.

The sprawled figure of Ginny Weasley lay on the cold ground. I knew her the moment my eyes fell on her. Her long flaming hair was in a mess around her head, and a shadowy form of a boy stood next to her. He was staring at me in disbelief. I didn't pay any attention to him and ran straight to my best friend.

I ran to Ginny and lifted her head. "Ginny, come back to me. It's Harry," I said. But she didn't answer.

"So you are the boy this foolish child has been writing to me about?" he demanded in a harsh voice and I shuddered. But I held back my fear. It was that boy who was hurting Ginny, I was sure of it.

"Can you imagine how horrible it is to listen to the pathetic woes of the crushes of a school girl? Always, Harry this, Harry that, 'Will he forget me, Tom?' 'Will he have found another best friend?' 'Why isn't he coming back?' Great Salazar! I thought I would go crazy, but I bid my time." He stopped talking and looked at me with fury. That was the moment I knew how it felt to truly hate someone.

"Oh dear me," I heard the rasping voice of the old Doctor behind me. "This is not right." He had his sonic screwdriver pointed towards the shadow boy. "You shouldn't be here. You don't exist."

"That is why I need the life force of this foolish girl," he said evilly. I knew he was evil because he thought taking Ginny's life was a good thing. And he called her foolish. My Ginny! I didn't listen to the conversation between the Doctor and the shadow boy. I was worried. And I was angry.

Then the boy said something. It sounded a lot like a hissing noise, but I could make out the words. I didn't think twice of it. The TARDIS translated foreign languages in our head, and that's what I thought it was. But then a giant serpent came out of a huge hole in the stone wall. It was scary, but I had decided not to be scared of animals. Foxes or snakes.

And that's all it was, a snake. Thirty feet long perhaps, but still a snake. I said that to the Doctor, who was stuttering, "B-B-Bas-Bas…"

_My_ Doctor would never have done that. My Doctor would have said, with much joy in his eyes, 'Oh my! You're beautiful! No, really... You are the loveliest slitheriest little snake I've ever seen. Of course, little is just a figure of speech here… you're the biggest and most magnificent… you're a piece of art that deserves to be sculpted by Michelangelo himself! Now, that's an idea! I might take you to him myself!' and he would have meant it. At that moment, I think I understood why. The snake _was_ truly beautiful.

I felt a sudden loyalty to my Doctor, and decided that since he was absent, it fell on me to speak his part instead. So I did.

"You are magnificent," I said to the snake, meaning it completely.

The snake stopped suddenly and stared at me in disbelief. I felt a pang of indecision. The snake was lovely and I didn't want to kill it. But I would, if it meant having to save my Ginny. I said so to the snake. I also said I was sorry. It would have been better if we could have been friends.

But the snake stared at me for a few seconds and turned to the shadow boy. Without any warning whatsoever, it lunged towards the shadow boy, who screamed in fury. I pulled Ginny out of harm's way and saw a diary spill out of her pocket. I suddenly recalled the shadow boy's words… Ginny had been writing to him… the diary. It all made sense suddenly. I think I was channeling my Doctor then. Only he can think so fast.

So I did the most obvious thing and threw the diary at the snake's open mouth.

Moments later, Ginny woke up groggily and screamed, "Tom! No! Please! I'll do anything! Don't make me kill Hermione!"

I didn't know who Hermione was but I didn't like seeing Ginny like that. So I slid my hands around her like the Lady would to me, and whispered, "It's alright, Ginny. I'm here." I think my words helped because she suddenly stopped screaming and looked at me. She blinked, and rubbed her eyes.

"H-Harry?" she asked in a small voice. I liked her voice. I had missed it. I had missed her. I told her that, and she grabbed me tightly, crying loudly. I didn't understand what was there to cry about, but I patted her gently. Then remembering something new I had learnt from the Lady, I leaned down and kissed her head. It felt right. _She _felt right. And I knew _I_ was right. I would marry her someday.

----------

**Chapter 9 - Best Friends**

Ginny begged to be allowed to come with me, and at first the old Doctor was unhappy. He muttered something about youngsters and kidnapping. I think he was more worried about us kidnapping him in his TARDIS than him kidnapping us. But he consented when I pointed out that Ginny was keyed into the TARDIS as well. That meant my Doctor intended for her to travel with us. He consented, but I think he had something else in his mind. He kept muttering 'ring' and 'her' all the while, as I took Ginny to the kitchen. I wanted to be alone with her. We were best friends.

"I thought you had forgotten about me," she said in a low voice. I told her she was silly. I thought about her every day… well, almost every day. But I didn't say the 'almost' part as I didn't think it would make me a liar. And even if it did, I would gladly be a liar if it made Ginny smile.

I told her about how the Doctor left me. She hugged me again, and I didn't let her let go this time. We held on to each other for several hours as I told her about my life with the Lady. She smiled and said that the Lady reminded her of her own mother.

Then she told me how sad she had been when I left. She went home and felt as if she had lost a part of herself and since then, she had never been truly happy. I felt bad. The Lady had made me very happy, and I wished Ginny could have been with us, or at least, had felt some happiness of her own. She then spoke about going to Hogwarts, a school of magic… I don't fear the M word anymore, and the Lady had told me of magic… and being possessed by the evil Tom Riddle. I held her tight when she cried. I think we both fell asleep like that.

I liked the next few days with Ginny, though I felt sad when I thought about the Lady. The old Doctor was unable to bring us back to the Lady's time as he didn't know what my Doctor had done in the first place. We found ourselves moving here and there, seeing wonderful things and sights, and I felt glad Ginny was with me, even though my Doctor and the Lady weren't. I hoped she didn't worry too much about me. But then I realized that she would, and I spoke to Ginny about it.

She was understanding. She felt bad when she thought how worried her family would be, but then she also decided that they should have done more on seeing how different she had been all year. They didn't help her, and for all their efforts, she would have been dead. Instead, she was alive because of me and the old Doctor. So she chose us. I couldn't blame her. I was happy she came with me.

One day, I was playing with the buttons, trying to recall what my Doctor had once done, when the TARDIS started moving. I distinctly remember not dragging the lever down. It should not be moving, but it did. Perhaps it responded to my thoughts. My Doctor always did say that the TARDIS was alive. Remembering how he used to do it, I stroked the sides of the console table.

"What do you think you're doing?" the old Doctor asked sharply, entering with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hand, and Ginny behind him.

"I didn't do anything! The TARDIS did!" I said defensively. I didn't like being blamed for something I didn't do. I saw Ginny grinning at me from behind the old Doctor's scowling face.

"What?" I demanded. "This isn't any old box! It's the TARDIS! It's alive! And it listened to what I wanted and did it on its own."

The old Doctor looked at me in surprise and smiled. At that moment, he reminded me so much of my Doctor that it was painful. I told him that, and his smile faded. He looked at me sorrowfully and said, "The other me who met you earlier told you this? About the TARDIS being alive?"

I frowned. What did he mean 'other him'? Until now I thought that the two Doctors were different people. But then I recalled the letter left behind by _my_ Doctor, and I understood.

"You're not him!" I shouted. It couldn't be. If this was the Doctor… _the only_ Doctor… then where was _my _Doctor? "No! You can't be!" I shouted. "You're not the Doctor! You're an imposter!"

The old Doctor… no, old _man_… sighed, and said regretfully, "I might not be the one who met you first, but I most certainly am the Doctor. I am the original Doctor, though not the luckiest one, I'd imagine. First I lose Susan, and now the closest thing to yet another grandchild to a future me, denies my very identity… no, not very lucky."

I stopped yelling. Ginny had come behind me and put her hands around me. I felt her head rested on my back. She was taking support from me. Being angry would affect that, so I had to stop being angry. I patted her hand gently and turned to the old man. "You're nothing like him!"

"I imagine not," he said sorrowfully, sitting down. He looked really sad, and I felt bad for saying what I did. Then I felt terrible.

The Doctor had accepted me even when I was a freak, and I was rejecting him because he didn't look quite the same. I felt awful. I gently parted Ginny's hands and ran to the old man… no, I went to the Doctor, and hugged him. He looked at me in surprise, and I said, "You're what he was. He couldn't be what he is if he hadn't been you. You're also my Doctor."

The Doctor looked at me in delight and I knew I had said the right thing. He patted my shoulder and for a moment, I thought that was all he would do. I was disappointed. But just then he stood and picked me up, just like the other him used to. I smiled, but then I saw Ginny feel left out. So I got away from the Doctor and hugged her. I kissed her again, but this time on the cheek. It felt good. Then she kissed me on the cheek too. It felt even better.

"Best friends," I whispered. I knew I would marry her someday, but even married people can be best friends.

"Best friends," she agreed.

----------

**Chapter 10 - The Same Man**

In all the excitement of the past ten minutes, we had forgotten that the TARDIS had landed someplace. But suddenly all three of us remembered that at the same time, and ran to the door. Before we reached it however, the door opened from outside.

"Just how many people did that ridiculous me give access to the TARDIS?" the Doctor bellowed in annoyance. But I didn't care. My eyes were glued to the person who just entered. It was the Lady. Her breath was ragged and her eyes were fixed on me.

I ran to her, and she ran to me. I could see she was much glad to see me. She hugged me tightly for several minutes and I kissed her cheek. Just the way I had kissed Ginny a while ago. It wasn't wrong. The Lady touched her cheek where I kissed her and smiled. Then she turned to my best friend.

"You must be Ginny," she remarked and Ginny nodded, "Yes'm." I rushed to Ginny and grabbed her hand.

"She's my best friend."

"Is that so, young sir," the Lady said teasingly. "I thought you intended to make her something more? In fact, I distinctly remember you saying you would marry her someday."

I was horrified. How could she! What if Ginny hated me now! I knew I was redder than a tomato then, and I couldn't face Ginny. I wanted to run away. Far far away. My best friend would hate me now. But then I felt two hands slide in from behind me, and the familiar feel of Ginny's body next to mine filled me with joy.

I turned around. Ginny was looking at me teary-eyed, and I saw in her face something that I had only ever seen once before… in the eyes of the Lady when she cried for her Arthur. And then I knew. Ginny loved me too. I wondered how it happened so soon. We were best friends for years, but had never seen each other all this while. Perhaps the previous few months were enough. Then I stopped wondering. I knew I loved her. And if I could love her, then so could she. I looked at the Lady thankfully. She helped us both voice our feelings… well, not really voice, but express.

I was almost thirteen and she was twelve. We were young. I knew that. But I also knew that we loved each other. There was no denying that. I kissed her on the mouth. Her lips were sweet. Or perhaps I was so lost in the sensation, I just thought they were sweet. But I liked their feel. So soft. So tender. So perfect.

I kissed her again. Then she kissed me. Then I kissed her. Then she kissed me again. I was going to kiss her once more, but I heard a coughing from behind and realized we weren't alone. The Lady was staring at us happily, while the Doctor obviously in disapproval.

"That's it! Different rooms," he said plainly, and both Ginny and I blushed.

"Hush," the Lady said, opening the door. "The King is speaking."

"King?" Ginny asked curiously.

"King Arthur," the Lady said. I smiled at the Lady. She mentioned his name lovingly, and I imagined she was no longer hurt. She smiled in return and walking to Ginny, touched her cheek softly. Then she hugged her. I was happy.

I turned to the Doctor who was smiling widely as if he knew something really funny. The Lady blushed and said, "Not a word, you." Then lowering her eyes, she said, "In your future and my past, I say some terrible things. Please understand that I did not mean them. I am truly thankful to you for everything, Doctor." She sighed in relief when the Doctor nodded in understanding.

"We all say silly things when in turmoil," he said. "Why there was this one time with young Chasserton when I…"

"Hush, the King," the Lady said loudly, and opened the TARDIS door slightly. We went out and were in the corner of an open area. People were all around, staring in front, where a tall and grand man stood. He was wearing armor and had a sword at his side, and a stick in his hand. He pointed the stick to his neck and said something I couldn't hear. But after that his voice was much louder. I looked at Ginny and the Lady.

"Sonorus, voice amplifying spell," they both said at the same time, and I was surprised. They both turned to each other and I looked at each, one after the other.

Then I smiled. Two of the three people I loved most were so much like each other. I said so, and received crushing hugs from both. I didn't mind. I held on to Ginny. I liked doing that.

The King was speaking.

"Listen to me," was how he began talking to his people. I liked his voice. It was grand and full of power. I decided he wasn't bad. He couldn't have wanted to hurt the Lady. Not with a voice like that. I wished I would grow to be like him. Ginny deserved someone as grand and powerful as the King. I vowed to be like him.

"My tale comes to an end. The Golden Age of Britannia was what I wrought, and much of it is now undone."

Angry shouts of 'Mordred!' rose like a clamor through the crowd and I wondered who this Mordred was. I decided I didn't like him if he was the reason the Lady had to stay away from her Arthur.

"No!" he said forcefully and with much emotion, and I think his eyes fell on me for an instant. "I do not talk of Mordred. I talk of another! I have been betrayed by one I held dear, and I now go to avenge my tarnished love, in crimson auguries. I go now, and I doubt I would be returning to you, my people."

A rising din of protest drowned the magically amplified voice of the King, and then I realized that he was greatly loved by his people. He must have been a good king, and a good man, to be so dearly missed. I wonder if anyone would ever miss me like that. Feeling Ginny's hand on mine, and the Lady's around my shoulder, I knew there already were such people. I kissed both hands.

"But though Arthur's time is at an end, Britain's time is only beginning. For a thousand years, you will grow in might. I have seen it in the mists of Merlin's magic. You will grow, and through much glory and wisdom shall your path be mired in evil once again…"

This time there was silence. The people were enthralled by the magic in the King's voice. It was as if he were showing them all some strange wondrous sight in their minds.

"Against this evil, I do not see the end of my way," he said, and I thought he sounded sad and full of doubt. I was disturbed. The King shouldn't sound like that. He was a great man. I vowed to fight that evil he feared when I grew up. I also vowed that if ever I had to say goodbye to people who cared for me, I would do so with pride and honor, and full of promises; not with grief and doubt.

It was as if he almost heard my thoughts.

"But this I promise you," he said, in a forceful and resolute voice, "I will be back again someday, perhaps long in waiting. By the magic of Merlin, I swear to you, my people, I will return! I was once your King and I always shall be!"

I smiled. The people cheered. 'Once and Future King' was what they screamed, and I cheered too. The King will be back, I believed his words to be the truth entirely.

But he wasn't finished.

"When I return, it will be to a time when Britain needs me most. My people will need me most… They will not recognize me for who I am. They may never even know my name, but my name matters little. It is you, my people, who matter; and it is for your sake that I shall return. For without you, I am but a king with no crown... so… this last song of Arthur, let us sing together. Long Live Britain!"

"Long Live Britain!" the crowd echoed, as the Doctor took us away. "Long Live Arthur!"

----------

**Chapter 11 - The Changer of Names**

Our next destination was shrouded with a sorrowful parting. The Doctor and the Lady said we had to depart there, but they couldn't come with us. The Doctor kept saying he had to close the circle. I didn't know what he meant.

The Lady looked like she wanted to cry but she said she had to be elsewhere, and I asked why we couldn't go with her. I asked her why they were abandoning us.

"That's because you have to be elsewhere, my Little Bunny," she said lovingly and with much sorrow. I nearly cried. I hadn't cried for long. But neither had I been called a bunny for long. I didn't want her to leave, not after she just came to us. But she wouldn't listen to me. Then Ginny surprised me. She shouted at the Lady.

"How can you leave him like this! You say you care for him! Then stay!" she held my hand protectively, as if I would run away. I would have. I didn't want the Lady to go. I looked at her despondently. She looked really distressed, almost as if she were going to break down. I didn't want that either.

I closed my eyes and thought. The Lady loved me, I had no doubt. She missed me, I had no doubt. For her to leave me like this must mean she had no other choice. I had no doubt.

I went to her and hugged her, and she kissed me on my head. Then I turned around, and taking Ginny's hand, went out of the TARDIS. We stopped, but I didn't turn around when the familiar sound of the TARDIS made it clear that they had left us alone. Truly alone.

"Hello? What do we have here?" a bright and jovial voice cut through our ears and a red haired man came in sight. He had a wooden stick in his hand as well, just as the King, and wearing red and gold robes, with an image of a winged lion on it.

"Are you children lost?" he asked.

"No sir," I said, pulling Ginny closer. The man sounded nice, but if anyone wanted to hurt Ginny, they would have to get through me. I felt Ginny's grip on my hand tightening and realized that she was thinking the same thing about me.

"Aah, young love," the man remarked casually. "A bit too young, I'd say, but then who is Godric to question matters related to the heart?"

Then Ginny gaped. "G-Godric G-Gryffindor?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Aye. That'd be my name, child. Godric the Griffin-hearted. How come you two, to my estate in Hoggard?"

"Please sir," Ginny said suddenly, squeezing my hand to keep me silent. I didn't mind. I trusted her. "We beg you to take us as your students. We wish to learn magic from you."

"Eh? You two are aware of the Greater Path?" he looked curiously at us. "I wonder." He offered his wand to Ginny and said, "Prove to me you are capable of the Greater Path, and I shall take you as my apprentice. I, Godric of Hoggard, who has never before taught any man or woman in this living earth."

Ginny took the wand almost gleefully and whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa!" while pointing it at a rock. The rock lifted several feet up, and Godric clapped his hands in delight.

"Wonderful!" he said ecstatically. "Truly wonderful, strange and lost child! You and your friend are most welcome in my estate. Henceforth shall you be my apprentices. What are your names?"

"Ginny."

"Harry."

"Nay," he said, shaking his head. "Those will not do. You have pretty names, but serf names will not permit you to be taught the Greater Path. Hmm… I must have you as my apprentices. Hence, I must rename you."

Ginny looked at me in doubt. But I knew she wanted to be this Godric's apprentice. I shrugged. The words of the King fell on my ears: _You may never even know my name, but my name matters little. It is you, my people, who matter._ It was Ginny who mattered. And the Lady… And the Doctor.

Freak. Bunny. Harry. I have been called by many names and I agreed, names do not matter. It is the people who call your name that truly matter. Thinking of the King I had begun to admire after seeing for mere minutes, I decided.

"Arthur," I said. "I will be called Arthur."

"Ginevra is my true name," said Ginny quietly.

Godric nodded appreciatively. "Very well then, Arthur and Ginevra, you are henceforth my apprentices. The Lady Rowena will look to your well-being and knowledge. I will train you in spell casting and dueling. Let us proceed to Castle Hog."

---------

**Chapter 12 - The Founders**

Castle Hog surprised me. It was the same Castle where the Lady used to live. I knew it well, but at a different time. Ginny also knew it well. She told me that it would later become her school, and that under the foundation of that very Castle did I save her from the snake. I told her I didn't save her from the snake. The snake was a very nice snake. Very beautiful too, but in a much different way than Ginny. She laughed.

Lady Rowena the Raven-clawed, called so because of the dexterity of her fingers and the piles of books she had written, was the Lady of the Castle, Lord Godric's wife. She was nice in a distant and strict way. Ginny said she reminded her of Professor McGonagall from home.

"Do you miss home?" I asked her one day after a long dueling session with Godric. I was good at dueling, both magical and weapons, but then Sir Bors from the Lady Guinevere's Castle had taught me quite well with wooden swords. He was one of the best, even better than Godric, but the Lady always said there were two others who could defeat Sir Bors even without trying. She would say no more.

Ginny didn't answer me and I didn't need her to. She leaned against me quietly as we sat by the lake, staring at the setting sun. Life was beautiful. Sad and beautiful, at the same time. I sorely missed the Lady and the Doctor… both Doctors. But I had Ginny with me, and I would not have it any other way. We were best friends. And I would marry her one day.

I stroked her arm tenderly. Her skin was soft and I could feel myself losing in its smoothness. She was truly beautiful. I couldn't hold myself back any longer. Leaning forward, I kissed her. Only this time, it wasn't just a soft touching of lips. When our lips met, I gently parted them open and tasted the sweetness of her mouth.

She was surprised at first, but didn't take more than a second to do the same. For a long time, we stayed like that and when we finally got back to the Castle, unkempt and breathless, we were surprised by the surprisingly large number of guests present.

"Ah, Arthur, Ginevra," Godric said, with much amusement at our appearance, "Glad you could grace us with your presence. Allow me to introduce you to my old friend - Salazar Serpent-Tongued." He gestured towards a tall and thin man with long dark hair. His eyes were shifty, and Ginny instantly took my hand protectively. She was very protective of me.

"So you are the two who managed to convince Godric to settle down and create a more… lasting means of imparting our knowledge?" the man asked politely. I think he was an aristocrat. "I must commend you for that." Saying that, he swiftly turned to his side and called out, "Lance, Lionel."

Two boys came out shyly and looked at us. They were about our age and wore the green colors of their master, as we did the red of ours. I shook hands with both, and found myself drawn to the shy yet determined Lance. He had dark hair and green eyes like mine, but there was something else about him… something familiar that I couldn't place. I saw Ginny react the same way to him. When she shook hands, I noticed he kept his gaze at her a bit longer than I liked. But I didn't mind. Many people stared at the Lady but she was always devoted to the man she loved. So would Ginny. Of that I was sure.

And I couldn't blame Lance. _I_ would have stared at Ginny if I had just met her. She was the most beautiful person in the whole world.

But before we could talk, Lady Rowena beckoned us to her side. She had been frowning when we entered in our ragged state, and I was afraid we were going to receive a scolding. But I was wrong. She called us to introduce us to her sister.

"Lady Helga the Charming," Lady Rowena said, gesturing at a plump but very motherly looking woman sitting with two boys behind her, all clad in yellow and black. "Gavin and Gareth, her nephews and apprentices. And finally, my own daughters back from the convent… Elaine and Anna." she pointed to two girls. The first was dark haired and scowled at me, while the other was an innocent golden haired girl, who smiled radiantly. I tore my eyes off her when I felt Ginny bristle next to me. I looked at her apologetically but she didn't soften.

But before I could say anything, Godric stood up and clanged his goblet with his silver spoon. There was instant silence.

"Greetings everyone, to Castle Hog. We have decided it is time for reestablishing an old order, albeit in a new form… an order that has for long been lost. Not since the days of the ancient druids have we seen those of the Greater Path actively aid the less-able of their brethren, or impart their skills and knowledge to those who follow. That shall change. Here in Castle Hog, a new order shall rise. No longer shall it be called Hog - Lordship of Godric Gryffin-hearted, but Hogwarts - school for the gifted! We four - Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin - have come together with our apprentices to establish this order. Let it begin and continue for thousands of years, imparting knowledge and skills to the young people of Britain."

There was resounding applause after his speech, but I didn't join in. I was trying desperately to get Ginny to understand that I was staring at Anna because of how different she was from her sister, and not because I liked her. How could I like anyone except Ginny? My best friend. The girl I was going to marry. I took her to a corner and said all that. Then she relaxed and hugged me. I resolved to never stare at any girl but Ginny.

All the apprentices sat together in one table and I was next to Lionel, while Ginny was next to Lance. I thought she felt a bit uncomfortable at first and asked if she wanted to change places, but she shook her head. I turned to Lionel.

"You remind me of a man I once knew. You talk like him," I said suddenly. "He was called Bors."

"Bors?" Lionel said, as if contemplating. "I like that name. I hate Lionel, it doesn't sound like me." I had to agree. Lionel brings to mind a person with glasses, pouring over books. And this boy was anything but. He was big and burly, and appeared more inclined to brawls than philosophy.

"Then I'll call you Bors from now on," I said with determination.

I noticed Gavin and Gareth looking at us from their places, and I turned to them. "Will you be staying here in the Castle?"

"Yes," said Gavin, and I got the impression he was used to speaking for the both of them.

I nodded. "That is good. The Castle has many secrets and even after almost a year, we haven't seen them all. It will be fun exploring."

The boys smiled at me. I had made three new friends. But it was Lance at whom my gaze fell most. He was drawn to Ginny completely, and I could relate to that. But I trusted Ginny.

Seeing me observing him, Lance smiled and I returned it. We would be good friends, of that I was sure.

----------

**Chapter 13 - Figures in an Old Game**

It was a strange beginning to what would once become the finest center of magical learning in the whole world. That's what Ginny called Hogwarts. She would speak to me of things from the future. She told me that, one day hundreds of students would be flocking from all parts of the country to learn from the wisest magic users of the day.

But it started with just the eight of us. Ginny and I were Godric's, Lance and Bors were Salazar's, Anna and Elaine were Rowena's, and Gavin and Gareth Helga's. But we learnt from everyone. Salazar taught us runes and deeper, darker spells. Godric disapproved of those but agreed that knowledge in itself was never a bad thing. He taught us spell work in general, anything and everything that could be useful. And he taught us how to fight. One didn't need to rely on the knowledge of spells alone to win a duel. There was much more involved - grit, determination, tactics, courage… Godric taught us that.

Rowena didn't care for anything that didn't require a lot of theory behind it. She reveled in explanations and concepts, and I couldn't for the life of me understand how she and Godric got married. Ginny and I were a much much better match than they were.

Helga loved potions and herbs. She liked making things off them, and that is what she taught us, apart from lessons on morality and ethics.

One day, I was flying on my broom when I saw it. Lance and Elaine were kissing. I didn't make any sound, and slowly flew away in a different direction. I was happy for my friend, though I didn't much like Elaine. She was mean.

Without realizing, I had been flying over the Old Forest, and when my attention finally returned to my location, I gasped. Salazar was in the Old Forest. He wasn't alone. He was with a huge thirty foot long snake. The snake who had saved my Ginny. I flew straight to them and jumped out of my broom.

The effect was instantaneous. The snake lunged at me, but Salazar jumped between us, waving his hand. The wand immediately transformed to a whip of shadow and with it, he struck the snake.

"You will not hurt the boy," he said, but I gasped in surprise. My mind could understand the words but my ears couldn't. The TARDIS wasn't around to translate strange languages, so I figured I was a Parselmouth as well. That explained why the snake's sight hadn't killed me all those years ago. But I wasn't sure how the Doctor had survived.

"Foolish boy," Salazar whispered harshly at me and I blinked in surprise. Although a sour man in general, I always thought he was very nice. Then I realized he didn't know I was a Parselmouth. He was merely concerned for my safety.

I smiled. Turning to the snake, I hissed, "I am sorry if he hurt you. Someone as magnificent as you deserves to be treated with utmost respect."

Both Salazar and the snake looked at me in surprise, and I walked closer to the serpent. It drew back menacingly as if ready to strike, and Salazar yelled something in fear. But I didn't care. I wasn't afraid. Reaching out, I touched the head of the Basilisk and said in wonder, "So smooth. You are lovely, my friend."

The snake lunged forward but I didn't move. I wasn't afraid. The snake was wonderful. It lunged forward and coiled around me. I wasn't afraid. I smiled. The coil became tighter until its head was level with me.

"You are worthy, little one," the snake hissed at me. "What is thy bidding?"

I raised an eyebrow. I had no bidding for a snake. I just wanted to be its friend. I said so and the snake hissed. I thought it was laughing.

"Then friends we shall be."

"Arthur!" Salazar yelled. "Command the snake to become your protector! It is power beyond any you can imagine. This is a tremendous opportunity for you, lad."

I looked at Salazar. At that moment, I realized two things. First, he was wrong. I could not only imagine, but I had seen power much beyond that of the Basilisk… The Doctor had such great power, he could have easily ruled the world. Several worlds. But he chose not to. And I understood. Power wasn't all that great.

And second, I didn't understand why Ginny disliked Salazar so much. Sure, he was a bit sour at times, and he liked power. But here he was, encouraging me, a student and not even his own apprentice, to seize power that was denied him. I looked at him in curiosity. I couldn't understand him.

The snake was staring at me and I smiled at it. "No. We shall be friends."

"Very well," Salazar sighed. "You have chosen. At least, can you request it to protect the Castle? I have prepared a lair for it in the depths of Hogwarts."

I knew the place he spoke of and frowned. Time travel suddenly began giving me a head ache. Up until then I had always been influenced by things around. But then I realized that was not how it would always remain. I had to influence things as well, and this was one of those things. I knew I had to do as Salazar said, because that was how I had met it in the first place. So I asked the Basilisk to go to the Secret Lair beneath Hogwarts and await the coming of Salazar or me.

When we returned from the forest, Ginny ran to me. She looked at Salazar angrily, and dragged me away to Godric's Tower. She ignored my protests and refused to tell me what had happened, instead choosing to fuss over me. After I convinced her I was alright, she sighed in relief and ran out of the room.

In a daze, I followed after her to the sound of metal ringing upon metal. I increased my pace while drawing out my wand and sword, and reaching the Great Hall, I stopped in a stupor. Godric and Salazar were fighting. I couldn't believe it. Those two, although the most different persons imaginable, were also dearest of friends. I could almost see myself and Lance in them.

Speaking of Lance, he was there too, standing protectively near Elaine and Ginny. I didn't think twice of it. Anna, Bors, Gavin and Gareth were also there. I went to them.

"What is going on?"

"Salazar has betrayed us," Lance exclaimed. "Salazar Slytherin has betrayed us all, and Hogwarts!"

"He wouldn't," I argued. I had seen that man just a while ago, facing a Basilisk to secure the Castle. I screamed, "Stop it!" and made towards the middle, but felt darkness take me.

When I woke up, I was in my bed, and Ginny was sitting beside me, a haunted look on her face. I got up and took her in my arms.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I had to stop you. You could have gotten hurt."

I sighed. I could have stopped that ridiculous duel. "What happened? Are Godric and Salazar safe?"

"Godric is safe," she said, and then her voice turned angry. "Slytherin has left!"

"What? Why?" I asked. Then I lost it. "What did Salazar do? Why do you hate him? Why do you all hate him?"

Ginny looked at me sadly. I knew my tone hurt her, but I was annoyed by her not telling me directly. "Ginevra… Ginny, tell me. What did Salazar do? Why was Godric fighting him?"

"He was plotting against us. Lance overheard him," she said. "He was planning to bring a monster to Hogwarts in secrecy, so he could get his way. Lance said he wanted to remove all impurities… he wanted to kill you… he heard me calling you Harry… Slytherin thinks you're a serf, Arthur. I'm sorry… It was all my fault."

I stared at her in disbelief. The man had jumped in front of a Basilisk to keep me safe, and here everyone was accusing him of trying to kill me. I jumped out of bed. I was annoyed. I was angry. I knew I should have stayed with Ginny, but the injustice done against a noble man stung me. I had to do something. The King, whose name I took, would have done something.

I found Godric sitting with Rowena and Helga in the Hall, and I marched to them purposefully. Elaine was smirking widely behind them, and Lance held her back. He gazed at me strangely. I was annoyed with him. He was a good friend, and I loved dueling with him as we were equal in ability, but he was wrong.

I went straight to Godric. I was angry. "Salazar is a good man. He faced great danger at risk of his own personal well-being to secure protection for the Castle. You have wronged him."

"You do not know what you speak of, Arthur," Godric said patronizingly. The sound of wine was evident in his voice. Rowena nodded, but Helga looked at me curiously. "Salazar's guilt has been proven without doubt. His notes on luring a Basilisk to the Old Forest is a certainty of his desires. You should be glad he's gone, boy. You were first on his list."

"Salazar faced a Basilisk to protect me. He jumped in front of me to intercede the serpent's plunge," I said, trying to curb my growing anger. I saw Ginny come to my side and take my hand. Her mouth fell open. She believed me, but I didn't take her hand. I was angry.

"You saw the Basilisk then?" Godric asked in, what I thought to my utter dismay, much glee. "And he took you to it. Then it's a wonder you have survived. But you have. And he's gone. But now we are even more certain of his malevolence. It's the Dark Arts, I say. It makes you evil. Parseltongue… serpent-tongued. He was evil. But don't worry, Arthur, my boy. You are safe now."

I didn't reply. I stayed silent for a while. I prayed desperately, for I know God exists despite what the Doctor might think. I prayed that Godric would see sense and repent. But he didn't. He took a bite of his chicken leg. I lowered my head and turned to leave. But before I could take a single step, I decided.

I removed the red colors of my robes and threw it at Godric's feet. He looked at me with an open mouth but was unable to form any words. But I didn't wait to hear any either. I looked at Ginny. She was completely shattered. I knew she wanted to stay and complete her apprenticeship. I also knew that if I waited a minute longer, she would come with me. So I left.

I summoned my broom even as I opened the door of the Great Hall. I heard Ginny scream my name… my real name. But I didn't wait. I jumped on my broom and flew away. I had to find Salazar. I had to.

---------


	3. Part 3: Chapter 14 to 19

**The Last Song**

**Part 3. The Sword Hidden Among Pinions**

**Chapter 14 - Merlin**

I never did find Salazar. Not then, at least. So my whole outburst was pointless. It could even be said that in my moment of anger when I left Hogwarts was my fate sealed. All my future woes were a direct result of me leaving Ginny without so much as a goodbye.

I flew straight to the same clearing where I had seen him earlier with the Basilisk, hoping against all likelihood that he would come there. He had saved my life, and was driven away by a false accusation in my name. I waited for an hour before I gave up. He wasn't coming. And I lifted my broom to return. Then I remembered.

I had no place to go. I had cast aside my apprenticeship with Godric, and I regretted it. Godric was a good man, momentarily blinded by lies and wine. I should have done better. But I had been angry. I knew I could go back and apologize. In all likelihood, he would forgive me, and take me back. But my pride came in my way. I couldn't go back. I had to find Salazar.

It was a mockery of fate. Salazar's apprentice caused him to leave Hogwarts while Godric's left the Castle of his own accord. I knew Godric would take Lance as his own apprentice. A bond had been growing between the two, and I wasn't jealous of it. Not at all. Godric had never held much sway over my heart, even less so after the events earlier in the day. But Lance liked him a lot. He would be happy as Godric's apprentice. But I had to find Salazar.

It was then that I heard it. That noise. The roaring and gushing and unearthly jingling of bolts and wires. The TARDIS. The Doctor had returned.

Feeling an exhilarating sense of yearning, I looked around, searching for the exact spot where the time vehicle would land, and I saw it. As it began materializing, I ran.

I reached it. I threw the door open, and shouted, "Doctor!" and my soaring spirit sunk instantly. It was the old Doctor. "It's you," I said sadly.

"It is I," he concurred.

I sighed again. Still, I supposed, it wasn't that bad. Any Doctor is better than no Doctor. I said that, and he chuckled in amusement.

"Glad you think so highly of me," he said sardonically, and I told him to get over it. I would like him more in his future, if that's what he wanted. I think that was the wrong thing to say. He looked slightly wounded by that comment. He didn't say anything but was a bit distant to me since then.

While drinking hot chocolate… how I had missed it… we suddenly realized there was a bob of golden hair hidden behind the console table. We snuck around from both sides to catch the intruder, and I gasped.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I asked in surprise. It was Anna. Lady Rowena's daughter.

"I was scared," she said tearfully. "I was scared when father was fighting Salazar. I ran. I got lost in the forest. Then I saw you, and I followed."

I shook my head, and allowed the Doctor to take care of her. I had vowed to stay away from her because of Ginny. I had vowed to stay away from any girl who seemed attracted to me because of Ginny.

Instead, I started a one-sided conversation with the TARDIS. It was like meeting an old friend. But then the TARDIS started moving. And once again, the Doctor didn't believe me that I had nothing to do with it. So I ignored him. I was still very angry.

Opening the door, I ventured outside. It was dark and cold, and I pulled my robe tightly around me. I wished I had my wand. It had dropped when I escaped from the Castle in such a hurry. I felt lost without it, not that I was particularly fond of magic. Not really. It was just a tool. Personally, I preferred technology. Or perhaps, I simply preferred the Doctor.

As Ginny wasn't with me, I decided I could travel with this Doctor for awhile. I needed to be away from the Castle for a while. Long enough for Ginny to finish her apprenticeship and join my side permanently.

We were at an old graveyard. It was not a place I wanted to be, and I walked aimlessly, until I felt another presence come closer. It was the Doctor.

"The girl is asleep. You could have been nicer."

I ignored that. "It is dark," I said. "Who knows what trouble is brewing around us as we stand here defenseless." As I spoke, I thought I saw a faint glimmer of light reflecting off something. I turned my head towards it and squinted my eyes.

"A sword!" the Doctor exclaimed in disbelief. "It is a sword, and it seems to be stuck on the ground."

"Brilliant!" I said and ran towards it. "No longer will we be defenseless."

I grabbed the hilt and tried to pull it out. It didn't budge and I felt annoyed. It had been a bad day for me. Now I couldn't even pick up a stupid sword.

"Wait a minute," the Doctor said hurriedly. He had his sonic screwdriver out, and pointed at the sword. "This is no ordinary metal. It is Gallifreyan Steel... The same material as the Tardis' exterior. How did it get here…"

I wasn't listening to him. I was frustrated. I doubled my efforts and gave the sword a tight tug. But nothing happened. Finally, I gave up and sank to the ground when the Doctor's words made sense to me. The TARDIS. I talked to the sword. I asked it to come out, and to my great surprise, the sword slid out of the ground in a smooth motion, as if it were never stuck there in the first place.

The sword came out and I looked at it in wonder. It was a beautiful sword - long, bright and sharp. Very sharp. On the blade was written a single word. I tilted it sideways so as to read it, and gasped.

"Excalibur," I uttered, turning to the Doctor, who didn't look very surprised to me.

In fact, he was smiling. He took a step closer to me and bowed. "It is your sword, My King. Now shall we enter the First Golden Age of Britain."

"King? What do you mean 'King'?" I asked in bemusement, but the Doctor merely stared at me. Then I balked and took a step back. It couldn't be. "No!" I shouted. "I'm not King Arthur!"

"You are him," the Doctor said plainly, and I knew he spoke the truth. But I didn't want to believe it. Memories from my childhood came back to me - the Lady… Guinevere… Ginny… How could I not have figured that out? Had I been so blind? My Ginny was the Lady who cared for me when I was a child… How could I believe such a ludicrous thing… I just couldn't! I wouldn't!

Then it made perfect sense. Bors… I named him. Names… it was all in the names… they meant nothing, but at that moment they meant everything… Arthur wasn't just a name I picked by chance. It was fate. Long before he became King, I knew his name, and I picked it because it was mine already. I was Harry. And I was Arthur.

I tripped and fell backwards. Feeling the mud soak through my pants, I felt the horror seep through me. Memories came back… the Lady's grieving nights for five long years as she devoted herself to look after me… her tears for her Arthur… for me… The tale of Arthur and Guinevere… the betrayal of Guinevere… Was that the life I had been doomed to live? Was that the happiness that was written for us by the Hand of Fate? To be separated sorrowfully from each other…

"And yet they get together again, in the end," the Doctor said musingly, almost as if he could hear my thoughts. "Arthur and Guinevere… Harry and Ginny… an immortal story of love, mired within deceit."

"Ginny would never deceive me!" I hissed angrily. Lies. All lies. I would never believe that. My Ginny would never deceive me. The older me must have been wrong. The Doctor was wrong. "My Ginny would never betray me!"

The Doctor didn't say anything. He looked old. Older than he usually did. And tired.

I felt rage rise like a tide within me. How could he be tired! He was the Doctor! But… no, he wasn't! He wasn't _MY DOCTOR!_ I didn't want him! I never wanted him! I needed my Doctor! He would know what to do. He always did. Why wasn't he coming back to me? The man who made me laugh…

And then as suddenly as it came, my rage vanished, and I stared at the old man indifferently. "So I am Arthur, King of Britain?"

"Yes." And so I was, here at seventeen years of age, destined to be a king.

"Then that makes you Merlin."

The Doctor looked surprised. I nearly laughed in slight vindictiveness. I wasn't going to do this alone. If I had to be King, I would keep the Doctor with me, regardless of his shape, size or age. The Doctor spluttered. I had never seen him do that.

"I s-suppose so… M-Merlin… B-But I can't even do m-magic!"

Arthur… Harry… my head suddenly started whirling. Who was I? What was I? Why was I here? Why wasn't I with my Ginny!

"They said Merlin aged backwards," I said, getting up. I looked at the sword in distaste. It was the bane of my existence… the wergild of my happiness… the measure of my future glory…

I had heard Arthur's last song. I had seen it. I had seen his last standing. I had heard his final farewell. I had even seen his coronation. All along… it was none other than me. How could I deal with such revelations?

I turned to the Doctor.

"And the other you looks much younger. If I am King Arthur, then you were always my Merlin."

The Doctor looked at me in surprise. "You might have something there. I never thought about it like that."

"Then you must know that you cannot leave me like you usually do, Doctor," I said harshly. The child in me was still hurt by the first abandoning… perhaps I was never an innocent child, but the Doctor had given me my childhood back momentarily, before snatching it away with his departure. "This Golden Age of Britain that you speak of… it was created by Arthur and Merlin together."

"Until Morgan trapped him in the Crystal Caves," he said musingly. "I wonder what that metaphor was all about."

Then the Doctor did something I had never seen him, either of him, do before. He was terrified. And I mean terrified. Pure terror. An inhuman aura of doom and dread was written all over his face and he gasped for air. "No… Dear God if you exist, have mercy." His steps faltered and his breath became heavier and faster.

It was a most horrible sight. "What?" I asked in concern. I might be annoyed with him but I didn't want to see him like that. I gave him my hand for support.

He looked at me fearfully, and opened his mouth but didn't say anything. Shaking his head, he took my hand. He muttered in a low voice, "I think I know why the other me hasn't been able to come back to you. It appears we face a much greater danger than I feared."

---------

**Chapter 15 - The Bear and the Lion**

It wasn't an easy path to Kingship. It was full of hardship and toil. But the memory of the people's love for their King was always foremost in my mind. I had to be worthy of such love. I had to be their savior.

And that was what I became. I forged a banner. A Bear and a Lion, one body, but facing in either directions. That was who I became. The Bear and the Lion. Wherever I saw suffering, my banner followed. I fought against wizards and witches who believed they had the right to rule over others. I fought against corrupt nobles and landlords. I overthrew false kings. But I didn't do it alone. The Doctor was always by my side. He never killed, and I tried not to. But his advanced technology was seen as a strange and powerful form of magic by others, and so Merlin the Mage became legendary.

And so did Arthur, with his war-cries.

I found Salazar one day. He had forsaken the comfortable life he was used to, and taken refuge in the house of his ancestors. I was correct in my judgment, he was an aristocrat. I fought against him too. His brothers were cruel, which was why he had left, and I was forced to kill them. But Salazar swore fealty to me. And I renamed him. To the world, Sir Kay became the first and most loyal of my knights. But to me, he was always Salazar.

The common people accepted me at once. The Doctor said it was my eyes. They were haunting. They spoke a promise of deliverance. I knew better. My eyes were not haunting… they were haunted.

Society was crumbling. And I was Arthur. I had to make a change. I owed it to the people, for the love they had, or would have, for me. For a lonely boy, called a freak by his own family, that love was beyond anything I could imagine. It was overwhelming. And yet, I needed it.

It was in Southern England, far from Ginny, that I found my stronghold. Salazar suggested moving North, closer to Ginny, for he knew how much I yearned for her. But I couldn't afford to let thoughts of her blind me to everything else. I was Arthur. I remembered my last song.

The Golden Age of Brittania… I poured my heart and soul into making it happen. The followers of the Greater Path, magicians of all kinds and talents, were made answerable for their deeds. Persecution of non-magic people was stopped. They knew I myself was a magic-user, and yet, they loved me dearly. I was Arthur, their King. King of Camelot.

Camelot was beautiful. Much more so than Hogwarts, much stronger, much more powerful, much more… modern. And for that, I had the Doctor to thank. His knowledge of advanced technology when powered with magic made for an incredible combination. I had little doubt as to why Merlin and Arthur had become legendary, when so many other upstarts had failed. It was all because of the Doctor. He was Merlin. And he was Arthur as well, or at least, he was everything good about Arthur.

Arthur's standard became the most joyous sight for the people, and the most terrifying for my enemies. Wherever a cry was heard, the banner was seen shortly, crushing all oppression and injustice. I was a bear among wolves, a lion among hyenas. I was a terror to the terrorists. I was death. And I was a savior.

For years, I fought many battles, and several of my old friends joined me. Anna had stayed with us all through, and became a dear friend of mine. We shared much of our joys and sorrows together. It was she who named my Castle Camelot. I liked the name.

Among the rest, Gavin and Gareth were the first to join me. Having heard news of King Arthur in the South who rose to the succor of the people and the land, Lady Helga bade them farewell. She knew her wards were no longer interested in learning when their childhood friend was facing mortal peril. A year later, Bors joined me. He had his scar that the younger me was so frightened of, and with him came Lance, though he had started calling himself Lancelot du Lake. He came with a big smile and words of fealty, but said he would be returning to Godric for the final stages of his apprenticeship. I welcomed them all with open arms, and a broken heart. Ginny hadn't come.

Lance told me Ginny was as heartbroken as I was. But she was nearing the end of her apprenticeship. She decided to stay. But whenever I would ask Bors to tell me of Ginny, he would keep quiet.

I had made several allies. I invited them to join me at my table, where my allies gathered. Salazar, Merlin, Bors, Lancelot, Gavin and Gareth. Tristan was another young friend of mine, who fought bravely at my side. Him also I invited to my Table. Among my new friends were Pellinore and Percival, lords of their own estates.

But all were unified at the Table… it was the Doctor's masterpiece. With alien technology, he designed it. To all appearances, it was but a single wooden table in the middle of the great stone hall. And, it was round.

I didn't know why exactly it needed to be round, but the Doctor muttered something like, 'Perfect electromagnetic field'.

I didn't understand fully. This much I knew. Any who entered the room with pride would meet his fall. A single chair, the Siege Perilous, was the focus of the Doctor's task. And by Merlin's decree, only the perfect knight could sit there. This hypothetical knight didn't exist, and so any who took the seat was would feel intense pain. It was in this manner that many proud men were humbled. And then they became my knights.

It was in my twenty second year that rumors first came of her - Morgan le Fay. People shuddered at her name, even my knights. But to my surprise, even the Doctor would have a gleam of uncertainty every time her name was mentioned. He truly feared her. And he was suspicious of Lancelot as well. But I told him he was being ridiculous in his old age. Lancelot was the dearest of my friends, save Kay, Bors and Ginny. The Doctor merely sighed.

There was but one thing missing in my life… my best friend, and the girl I had vowed to marry.

**----------**

**Chapter 16 - The Maiden and the Knight**

It came, at last. The day I had been yearning for since I flew out of Hogwarts in anger. How I wished I had stayed behind! Then I would have been with Ginny all along. Perhaps I might never have found that accursed sword. But it happened and could not be changed. And Ginny was coming to me.

It had been decided. I would marry Ginny. An alliance was needed between Hogwarts and Camelot, and Lord Godric had proposed marriage with his adopted daughter Guinevere. I felt sad that the change of name had occurred with my having no knowledge of it. But I agreed.

On the day itself, however, I was in much doubt. The Castle was in full festivity and all the faithful crowd was gathered. But I was highly temperamental. The marriage ceremony was very grand, but very formal. Several important guests were present, and I didn't get a chance to talk to Ginny. But from what I saw, she seemed a shell of her old self. Did she really love me anymore? We were but seventeen when I left her. Now we were twenty three. Six long years of separation. That was the fate of a King. My people came above me. Always. They would always do so.

Even during the ceremony, Ginny barely looked at me. I didn't understand. We were best friends. When we danced, I saw her eyes kept dropping to the ground, and I asked her if everything was alright. She nodded, but I wasn't convinced.

Then I was busy with the guests. I saw Ginny looking at me distantly, and I felt hurt. Had I really created such a huge wall between us by leaving?

The formalities ended with a few minutes of daylight still remaining and I walked to the garden. I wanted to be away from people. I was sitting alone in the shade of a tree when I saw the sparkle of sunlight on flaming red hair. I saw her. She walked to me, and her face was no longer covered in the veil as it was through the marriage ceremony. I was stunned. She was even more beautiful than I remembered her. She was heavenly, divine. She was an angel. I couldn't move. I couldn't say a word. Then she giggled, and the spell was broken. I ran to her.

"Ginny," I said in a rush of emotions, taking her hand. She gave it to me willingly and I took that as a good sign. Lifting it to my lips, I kissed the back of her hand tenderly.

"You look good," she said after a few seconds of awkward silence between us.

I gulped. Then I reminded myself I was King Arthur. I was the crusher of foes, leader of the bravest men, a bear and a lion… but I was also Harry. And this was Ginny in front of me.

"I have no words," I said in a breathless voice. "No words at all to describe how beautiful you are. I wouldn't have thought it possible that you could become more… not after all... I'm sorry I left you."

"Arthur," she said and something in her voice stopped me. She looked at me teary-eyed and a feeling of dread washed through me.

"Do you not want to marry me?" I asked quietly.

"I do," she said in a high pitch, and I knew she was sincere. "I love you. I love you," she shouted, and I took her in my arms. I leaned forward and kissed her. It was a sweet, tender kiss with years of longing thrown into mere seconds.

It was insufficient, and she came at me hungrily.

"I love you too," I told her after parting for breath.

Her eyes were sad and her next words haunted me. "Do you?"

How could she even doubt it! I looked at her in disbelief. Of course I loved her. I told her that. But she wasn't convinced.

"You have been living with Anna for the past six years," she said quietly. I heard the accusation in her voice.

"Ginny, believe me," I said desperately. I needed her to believe me. "I have never looked at any girl. Not. A. Girl. I haven't, not since I left you. Anna is like my sister." But instead of comforting her, my words seemed to horrify her even more.

"Y-You mean, you have been waiting all this while? You have never been with any girl?"

"I have been waiting for you, my love."

Then she turned and fled in tears. I was shocked. Was that not the right answer? I didn't know what was happening. I tried to follow her but the door to her chamber was locked. Outside, I saw Bors look at me sadly.

"Let her be, My King. There are some things that are better left unknown."

I turned to Bors angrily. "If you know anything, Sir Bors, then it is my command as your King to tell me what bothers my wife."

Bors looked at me sadly. "It is not a King I face, but a man in love."

I bristled in anger. "They are both one and the same."

"If you truly believe that, My King, then I shall do as you say, but you will not thank me for it. The Lady Guinevere weeps because she didn't have as much faith in you as you had in her. She thought you would have moved on, and she tried to do so herself."

I felt my heart stop. For a second I thought Bors had turned to stone, and then I realized my hand was on Excalibur, and it was drawn. I took a deep breath and reminded myself I was Arthur. I was a King. And then I realized Bors was right. I wasn't a King at this moment. I was a man in love. I took another deep breath and eased my grip on Excalibur.

"Pardon me, Sir Bors," I said calmly. "You were right. Are you aware of who was this lucky man, to receive attention from the Lady Guinevere?"

Bors lowered his head in shame. "This I do not know for sure, My King. And not even my fealty to you will command me to slander an innocent man."

I knew better than to try. Bors was an honest and honorable man. I had no right to make him break his honor. But I was angry. He was most likely correct in his guess, and he was keeping it from me. I knew I shouldn't have done what I was about to, but that was the weakest moment in my entire life since I had touched Excalibur, and so I said, "Then this I ask of you, Sir Bors. Whatever fealty you have to me, let it transfer henceforth to the Lady Guinevere. Let her not feel a prisoner in my house, among my knights. You and your men will do as she commands, now and always. You are no longer my knight."

He bowed.

"You may speak to your Lady." I turned and left.

---------

**Chapter 17 - The Lonely Husband**

I was devastated. I was distraught. My Ginny… was not just mine anymore… she had found comfort in the arms of another man. Even the very thought made me feel sick. It did. I turned to a side to clear my stomach.

"Is there anything you need to talk about?" I heard the voice of the Doctor and shook my head. It wasn't the right him. Only one person could have helped me then, and he had abandoned me many years ago.

"In that case, I shall talk to you."

I shrugged.

"She loves you still."

I shrugged.

"She has always loved you, and always will. It was a moment of weakness, perhaps in a moment of grief and loneliness."

I shrugged.

"Perhaps in a moment of enchantment."

I turned to him with wide eyes. "How can you tell?"

"I cannot. But can you? Can she? Have you talked to her? Do you know what happened?"

I shook my head.

"Then do not assume. Now, go to her. She hasn't eaten or come out of her bed chamber for two days."

I was horrified. I got up and went to the kitchen and took a loaf of bread, some meat, and an apple. I then walked to her room and knocked. It was closed. I didn't care. I took out my wand and opened it magically, and was horrified by the sight in front of me.

Ginny was lying sprawled on her bed, staring blankly at me. Her face seemed so lifeless, so pitiful. I nearly dropped the food. Walking to her side, I dropped the food on the bed and looked at her seriously.

"You still cry for me." It wasn't a question, just an observation.

Her only reply was the streaming flow of tears. I tore a piece of bread and brought it to her lips.

"You are weak."

She allowed me to feed her small nibbles of bread slowly, but she didn't move from her position. I don't think she had enough energy to do so. She looked terrible, but still she looked beautiful to me.

"You are beautiful."

She looked at me, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes. I smiled. I was Arthur, King of my people. I was also Harry, Ginny's best friend. But right then, I was nothing more than a lonely husband.

I put my hand on top of hers, but didn't close it. It had to be her choice. "I don't know what happened, save you lost faith in me. For that I'm hurt and disappointed, and so are you. I do not know if I can forget this, but for now, take my hand," I begged. "Come with me."

I closed my eyes as I waited for her to respond. A few seconds ticked by, and then I felt soft fingers tightly clutching my own, and I smiled.

---------

**Chapter 18 - Mordred**

For two years, Guinevere and I lived with little mention of the painful past. It was as if an understanding had been reached between us that I'd forgive, and try to forget. She was still the same caring and lovely person I knew her to be. She was still very protective of me. But it was now defiled by a sense of insecurity. She would look at me with uncertainty, unsure of herself, despite my frequent attempts to try and heal the past. I had no idea how to do that.

But regardless of everything I tried, I couldn't forget. She was no longer the image of perfection I had in my head, and I refused to think of her as Ginny anymore. Ginny was the fiery redhead who would take on the whole world and challenge a queen for my sake, Ginny was the girl who loved me, and me alone, Ginny was the… Ginny was a part of me that was forever lost. The woman who shared my bed was Guinevere. That is what I caller her, and indeed thought of her - Guinevere.

And I was Arthur, King of Camelot, and soon to be King of all Britain. I had a duty to my people, to forge a just and peaceful society from the muddy pool of corruption and hedonism. I had to do that. I knew I would. The people needed me to do that for them. I remembered the last song of Arthur. It was my own.

And so I became the undisputed Sovereign over all of Britannia. I became King of Britain, not just of Camelot. The people of the land had chosen me, indeed they cherished me. I was theirs. And so came the day of fulfillment. Fulfillment of all my dreams, and my woes - my coronation as King of Britain.

A rumor had started about Mordred, an illegitimate son of my get on Anna, whom I loved as a sister. I was sorely hurt when I heard Lance himself taking part in these rumors. So did Elaine, Anna's own sister.

And after the coronation, this untruth became irrefutable. Some of my noblest knights swore seeing a small child who looked exactly like me. And then I cursed my uncle for the first time in my life. If only I had been physically normal as a child and appeared my true age when I was at the coronation with the Doctor, it would have been easy to refute these rumors. But as matters stood, I couldn't. Too many swore by the evidence of their eyes. Lancelot included.

Lancelot did a lot more than that. He decried my relationship with Anna, claiming it to be the most vile of all. He further claimed he had the true love of my Queen since Hogwarts, and I was crushed. I turned to Guinevere, who not only confirmed it with her silence, but looked at me in anger.

"All this while," she hissed. "All this while, you have been playing with me. You and Anna..."

"Guinevere," I tried to explain. "Listen to me. It isn't as it seems. Remember the Doctor."

"How dare you!" she shouted. "How dare you! It's just another lie!"

I looked at her pleadingly, and her anger vanished. She hated me then, but she also loved me.

"Please stay," I whispered miserably. Explanations would amount to little. I begged her with my need... I needed her, and she knew that. And she looked away.

"I love you," she said, not meeting my eyes. "I love only you, my Harry, but I can no longer stay." Slowly, as if the very act caused her physical pain, she removed the wedding ring from her finger. It did cause pain to me. A dagger struck through my chest could not have caused more pain.

But I was resigned. I took the ring from her hand, and dropping it in my pocket, I hugged her one final time. Leaning forward, I whispered, "We depart in bitterness, but one day you will understand. Know then that, though I love you, it might be I who needs to stay away."

She almost faltered in her resolve then, and I wished she had. But she was proud. Just like me. She touched my cheek and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Then go. But if your heart changes, know that mine might not. You must wait until I come for you. Not before."

In tears, she ran away.

Lancelot turned to follow her, but the Doctor came in his way. "At last you are revealed, you vile serpent."

"Get out of my way, old fool. I know you for the charlatan that you are," my 'good friend' sneered disdainfully and turned to go, only to find Sir Kay blocking his path.

"Can you not see past the illusions of my appearance, old friend?" Salazar hissed in Kay's voice. It was said in Parseltongue, and only the three of us could understand what was said. And the Doctor.

Then Lancelot paled. He recognized Salazar, who had lost everything due to his lies. In desperation, he turned to me. "My king, I have always been faithful to you. What is the meaning of this?"

"Have you, Lance?" I asked quietly. "Have you ever been faithful to me?" It all fell into piece together, even the last annoying puzzle, which had nagged me since the first time I had seen Salazar's prized apprentice. My vision cleared. I knew Lancelot from much earlier. And the memory was horrifying.

"All you ever sought was power. When you learnt all you could from Salazar, you managed to get him thrown out, so you could learn from Godric. With your wiles and tricks, you managed to steal my Ginny from me, if only for an instant." I stayed silent for a moment, and then said, "But that is not all, is it, Tom Riddle?"

"How do you know that name?" Lance barked in pure fury, his eyes boring holes into the very wall with their intensity.

But I held his gaze. I was Arthur, King of Britain, sworn to protect my people from all evil. And here was evil unmasked before my very eyes.

"That is not important," I said. It was a pity his appearance as the shadow boy held an illusion charm which prevented me from seeing him fully. Or else none of this might have happened. But then, the Doctor would argue that it had already happened, so it had to come to pass. I looked at the Doctor, who was edging closer to Lancelot, or Riddle.

"Tell me, Lance, how did you manage to travel through time? It is not your right."

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back and collided with the Doctor. They started brawling, with Sir Kay joining in the fray. But just then a cackling laugh was heard, and a green mist rose out of Lancelot's ring.

The Doctor jumped back in terror, and Sir Kay hissed in pain. The mist rose and took the shape of a woman.

"Morgan le Fay!" Kay yelled, and started backing away.

"No," said the Doctor. I saw fear vanish from his eyes, giving way to a glint of iron that reminded me so much of _my_ Doctor that I thought having an apparition of the most feared witch in my court worth it. "It is Rani! The Time Lady!"

"Doctor," the shadow woman said, almost politely. "It has been some time. But I'm afraid, I'm not yet ready. I apologize for my bad manners, King Arthur, but I'll be leaving now with my apprentice." Then the mist covered both her and Lancelot, and within moments, they disappeared from sight.

I turned to the Doctor. "Merlin, look after things. I need to see if Ginny is okay." I was Arthur, but I was also Harry. And Guinevere was Ginny, no matter how I tried to think otherwise.

The Doctor nodded, and I ran indoors. The queen's contingent was all prepared and ready to go. The queen herself was entering the carriage. Bors was her lead guard. I sighed. He would keep her safe. But then I remembered thinking the same about Lancelot. And I shuddered. I would go with them, at least until I was certain they were out of harm's way. I found a spare uniform and donned it, with an illusion charm hiding my true appearance.

We rode in silence until I saw a familiar sight, a sight that brought tears to my eyes… a Doctor and his Bunny. This was the day I had been abandoned… the worst day of my life, along with the day I found out about Guinevere's unfaithfulness.

Seeing myself in a bunny costume brought back tears to my eyes. In front of me was a child who didn't believe he had the right to be happy. Not until he met one man. The very man who would be abandoning him any moment now. But the child managed to bury that hurt deep within his heart, and grown up to become a man. He grew up to marry the woman of his dream. And he had only just been abandoned by that very same woman.

But I couldn't bring myself to even compare his pain with mine. It was King Arthur who had to deal with his wife leaving him, but there was a hurt child in front of me… about to suffer more pain than any child ever should…

Looking at Guinevere, I saw an overwhelming sense of horror creep into her face. She was seeing the truth that was in front of her eyes all along. The truth about Mordred. The very truth that she wouldn't believe from my tongue. I wiped a tear from my eye. She was crying now. In agony, we were unified.

I saw the younger me approach her. She kissed him. My first kiss. How could I be angry with her? I saw him respond to her, savoring the closeness. I yearned for it. Not the Lady… but my Ginny.

Then he rejected her offer to stay with her. I saw Guinevere completely devastated. I knew what she felt. That was how I felt a while ago. And she knew that too. She saw the truth before her. She feared I, Arthur, would refuse her too… and she knew she would deserve it.

But then the little rabbit kissed her cheek.

My heart broke at seeing the younger me console her, and if it weren't for the tremendous self control I had had to muster, to be able to become who and what I was, I would have displaced the younger me from my lover's arms. But I didn't. He needed Guinevere more than I did. I looked at my wife.

And there I was, facing a choice. Guinevere had realized the truth, and would not require a second thought to return to me. But the door of the TARDIS was open. I looked at my Guinevere surreptitiously. She was hugging the younger me. All eyes were on them, except one pair - the Doctor's.

The Doctor removed a piece of paper from the breast pocket of his pinstripe suit and scribbled something on it. I knew what was in that letter. And then I realized. The decision to stay or leave was not mine to make. It had already been made. Guinevere didn't need me now. Or at least, not the older me. She wouldn't be able to face Arthur.

Facing Arthur now would make her wounds permanent. She had wronged me. Twice. And she hated herself for that. This was a hate I couldn't draw out of her. Only one person could. Only one person could show her how truly I loved her, and it wasn't me. That person was in her arms.

She needed to mend her heart. She needed to look after Harry Bunny. It was the only way to heal… to remember how to love unconditionally. And I…

I couldn't stay either.

Suddenly, I felt cold. I heard… no, I felt echoes calling me home. Home… what was home?

Guinevere had betrayed me, and though I loved her dearly, I could not bear to be with her just yet. I needed healing too… I needed my doctor… And he was right in front of me. With that thought, I slid into the TARDIS... I went home.

**---------**

**Chapter 19 - The Man Who Made Me Smile**

I saw the Doctor enter the TARDIS and take it away somewhere. He hadn't see me, and had gone straight to the console table. I noticed he didn't think twice about what buttons he pressed. He didn't care, and neither did I. This was the TARDIS - the first place I called home. This was where the echoes were coming from. The TARDIS called me to itself, and to the Doctor. He was the father, and the grandfather, I never had. I felt overwhelmed. So much had happened to the little bunny who walked out this very TARDIS, to become the lost King that just walked in.

"Hello, Doctor," I said quietly when he remained transfixed for several minutes in his thoughts, unmoving. He hadn't even noticed my presence. I broke his reverie.

He turned to me instantly, and regarded me silently. Slowly, he said, "Arthur, Lord of Camelot and King of Britain, Knight Supreme of the Round Table; Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, Chosen One, apprentice of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin," then his voice broke, and he said with more emotion than I could fathom, "my Little Bunny…"

I smiled. I had yearned to hear that voice for nearly two decades now, and I finally did. But then my smile faltered. I wad waited for so long, and for him, it was only a few moments of parting. How would he know how harsh it was for a little bunny to be thrown out to the wolves!

"But the bunny has grown up to become a bear… and a lion," he said musingly. It was uncanny, his ability to still be able to read my thoughts as if I were speaking out loud.

"Why?" I asked, my eyes were completely damp. I looked at him miserably. "Why did you leave him behind? You could have given him all the love of a parent. Why did you leave him, Doctor? Why did you leave me?"

The Doctor looked at the floor of the TARDIS for several minutes. Time ticked by - a meaningless concept for a Time Lord as he faced me. I was struck by the timeless and ageless grief so clear in his eyes.

"Sarah-Jane Smith," he said. That name was familiar but I couldn't quite place it. "I don't expect you to remember. She was your grandmother on your maternal side."

I nodded slowly. The Doctor must have mentioned it sometime.

"I loved her. I loved her as you love Ginny. And she loved me as Ginny loves you."

I didn't say anything. To even think about Ginny was painful. Much more pain than I could bear handling then.

"I see the pain in your eyes, Harry," he said softly. "That was the pain I held in mine… when I left Sarah-Jane behind."

"Why did you leave her behind?"

The Doctor didn't answer. He was fighting the ghosts of his own past. "When I next saw her, she had aged, while I had de-aged. She had waited for me, but I... How could I stay? Then she moved on, married, had children, grandchildren, and died. I lingered. Then came Rose Tyler, and she also left. I lingered. Harry, understand this, a few seconds ago when I saw you, you were seven. Now, you are nearly twenty seven. I…" his voice broke. "The next time I see you… I don't know. I just don't know."

He was staring into space, lost and confused, more so than I had ever been. Then he turned to me, his eyes wet.

"The next time, you might not be here, but I will linger... There is nothing I would have liked more than to be my Harry Bunny's Doctor. Nothing!"

Then I understood. He cared too much. More than he ought to. I was only human, while he was much more. He was immortal in every way, save one. He could still feel pain. It was his curse.

"You were the father I never had, and the other you was a grandfather to me," I said quietly. "I would travel with you as long as I could, but I see I can't."

I closed my eyes and felt peaceful. An empty hole in my heart was filled. Now there was only one other hole. Guinevere… no, Ginny… always Ginny, never again Guinevere… My Ginny… who will proceed to cry her heart out for five years, and only be able to sleep when holding a younger me.

I missed her. I loved her. But before I could go back to her, I had a duty to my people. King Arthur must always come before Harry. I remembered the last song. It was mine.

"Doctor, will you take me back to my people? With the threat of Morgan le Fay, I cannot leave Britain kingless."

Then the Doctor stood up, resolve glinting in his eye. "King Arthur, this I promise you. Though I must by needs leave you at your next destination, in your final battle against your foes, you will not fight alone. The circle _will_ be closed."

---------


	4. Part 4: Chapter 20 to Epilogue

**Author's Note: **Here ends my story. It has been a wonderful journey for me. I hope you enjoyed it too. King Arthur has always been a source of inspiration for me, while Doctor Who a source of fascination, and Harry Potter a source of entertainment. Together I tried to weave all three together, losing a little bit on the entertainment and inspirational value, but I hope The Last Song remains a fascinating story.

Like Harry/Arthur says, to always leave with a promise: Mage and Warrior, Sigil of Power, are still in works. Thanks for staying with me so far, and hope you enjoy this final bit.

**The Last Song**

**Part 4. Seeds of a Tenacious Plant**

**Chapter 20 - The Brightest Star**

I returned. There was chaos everywhere. There had been a sudden attack by Lancelot and his forces while I was away. Merlin had disappeared with Morgan, people told me, and I was alone. But I gathered forces.

I sent Gareth and Gavin to protect Ginny's procession, and send news of what had happened, but Gavin refused to take part in this battle between me and Lance. He was loyal to both of us, stubbornly refusing to believe in Lancelot's guilt, despite the evidence of his own eyes. He maintained on Lance being enchanted by Morgan le Fay. So Gareth went alone.

But a day later, we received the news that Lancelot had trapped Gareth and killed him. Then Gavin rose in fury. He led our next attack against our enemies and fought like a man possessed. But even the most valiant of knights can be slain by one arrow, and Gavin was killed by many. Kay died in the same battle. Of all my knights, only Bors remained alive, albeit far from me. At least, he would keep Ginny and Little Harry safe. It was worth it.

Through the next five years, I was alone. The Doctor never returned. I fought alone. But the Banner of Arthur stood tall, unwavering. And people gave me yet another name - the Brightest Star. I was the warlord whose battle cries were heard across cities, achieving victory solely by the promise of defeat my voice delivered on those who heard it.

Five years later, I was alone, and facing another full scale war with Lancelot. But I was Arthur, and this would be my last song.

I walked alone, my soldiers had diminished. I had sent the rest away, weary and wounded. But I carried my Banner, and I walked among my people. I walked one last time before I would go to battle. I knew it in my heart. It was nearing the end. The echoes were getting louder. I was being called home. But I couldn't simply leave my people behind. So I walked amongst them, carrying my banner one last time. I didn't stop, I merely walked.

When people saw me, hope rose once again in them, like a stubborn flame against strong winds, refusing to completely disappear. They gathered around me, their King. They flocked from afar. I was all they had, and they were all _I_ had. And soon, there was a crowd of thousands. Finally, I reached Camelot, and stopped. I pointed my wand to my throat, and whispered, "Sonorus."

I smiled despite the graveness of the situation. The younger me would be listening. It was here that he would be inspired. It was here that Harry would become Arthur, while Ginny and the Lady both held him at once - one of my fondest memories.

But I had no time for memories now. There was a difficult task ahead.

"Listen to me," I said, and people listened. I didn't shout or yell - magic would take my voice to every person for miles. "My time is at an end. The Golden Age of Britain was what I wrought, and much of it is now undone." I looked at the chaos around. Camelot was burning in the distance. My Camelot. I stifled a sigh. I couldn't sigh. Not when my people needed me to be strong.

They started shouting 'Mordred!' angrily, believing him to be the cause of all the strife in my court.

"No!" I said firmly. There was no Mordred, only me, and I turned to the spot where I had been standing and listening to my own speech. I looked at the younger me and willed him strength enough to do what I had to do, to be able to stand before the people and… I had a sudden idea… I could publicly decry Lancelot, and Harry would keep a safe distance from him. I almost did that… but at the last moment I stopped.. I recalled I was Arthur, King of Britain, not Harry Potter. This was not a place for me to make personal gains, when the safety of my people was the need of the day. No, Lancelot still had enough support. I didn't blame them, my people who supported Lance. I myself loved him like a brother for so long, blinded by his deceptions. How could I blame others? But a civil war was not what this kingdom needed.

"I do not talk of Mordred. I talk of another! I have been betrayed by one I held dear, and I now go to avenge my tarnished love, in crimson auguries. I go now, and I doubt I would be returning to you, my people."

My people were dismayed. Here was I, their King, saying I might not return to them. I felt grief course through me. They loved me, and all I had for them were promises of a future that I had seen, and they never would.

"But though Arthur's time is at an end, Britain's time is only beginning. For a thousand years, you will grow in might. I have seen it in the mists of Merlin's magic. You will grow, and through much glory and wisdom shall your path be mired in evil once again…"

As I spoke, I saw the sights in my mind. My eyes fell on the roars of automobiles as they whizzed past high rise buildings, the magical tales of Aunty Enid's creations, Disneyland… But then I recalled Lancelot. Or rather, Tom Riddle. Lord Voldemort, as Ginny had told me, and his Death Eaters…

"Against this evil, I do not see the end of my way," I said quietly, unaware of the quivering of my voice. But then my eyes fell on the younger me. He was perturbed. I recalled how affected I was by my own grief. I recalled my vow to say farewell to people who care for me with pride and honor, and full of promises; not with grief and doubt.

"But this I promise you: I will be back again someday, perhaps long in waiting. By the magic of Merlin, I swear to you, my people, I will return!" They started screaming in delight. They believed me, every last one of them. And I started believing as well. I had faith in their faith. And then it become crystal clear to me.

"I was once your King, and I always shall be!" I smiled.

The people cheered. They shouted. They clapped. They whistled. But above all, they shouted, _"__Once and Future King!__"_

But I wasn't finished. I had to say one last thing… my last song.

"When I return, it will be to a time when Britain needs me most. My people will need me most… They will not recognize me for who I am. They may never even know my name, but my name matters little. It is you, my people, who matter; and it is for your sake that I shall return. For without you, I am but a king with no crown... so… this last song of Arthur, let us sing together." I allowed the cheers of support and love fall for several seconds, before I gave my final war cry, "Long Live Britain!"

"Long Live Britain!" the crowd echoed. "Long Live Arthur!"

I looked at them, aware that the younger me was leaving with both our Ginnys, while I had to stay behind. But I was at peace with that. I was once what he was then, and he would one day stand in my stead. Until then, he deserved what happiness he could get. It was not for me. For I was Arthur, King of my people, for now and for ever. And I rode to battle.

---------

**Chapter 21 - The TARDIS**

The battle was awful. I lost more men that I thought I had. Men began to leave the comfort and safety of their homes when Arthur's Banner of the Wolf and Lion passed their streets. They would not let their King fight by himself. They were peasants and merchants… traders and scholars… but they were my people, and they loved me. They joined me in my last song. It was a chorus of thousands.

It was an army beyond compare. Lancelot didn't know what hit him. He was strong, yes, and had many supporters, and the wisdom and support of a renegade Time Lady… but I was Arthur. I had Britain.

The final standoff was telling. I led my men to Lancelot's stronghold. He was standing, surrounded by a dozen men and a green mist. The Time Lady. She floated around me in her misty form and laughed like a maniac. I didn't fear her. I had Excalibur in my hands, forged of the metal from the stars - _my_ Doctor's work that kept him from rescuing me earlier from the clutches of my uncle. He had put things in motion. From the very start. I was Arthur, but he was Merlin.

"Where is the Doctor now?" Rani cackled. "I will tell you where he is." She pointed to Lancelot, who raised his hand in triumph. On it was a ring… the ring that had terrified the old Doctor… and I recoiled in horror.

"No!" I shouted, but it was true. I knew it.

"The Doctor is my prisoner for all of eternity," she said joyfully. "Ooh, think of all the experiments I can make on a Time Lord… I wonder how brittle his skull is…"

I was angry. Never had I felt fury like I did then. And I raised my sword. Excalibur rang true. It gleamed in pure blinding light. The TARDIS called to me. I swung it around, and ran like a madman.

In less than a minute, I had killed all of Lancelot's personal guard. He was alone. Him and the Time Lady.

"The Doctor is not truly gone," I hissed in rage. "He lives in Excalibur, and in me."

The Time Lady chortled. "Gallifreyan steel? Sure, it could kill me. Good thing I can travel through space and time, isn't it? So, you're stuck here, Arthur. You cannot follow us. Without the Doctor, the TARDIS is a useless piece of metal. You are trapped in the past while we enslave your people in the future, a future where your pitiful woman has fled to. Lance would enjoy seeing her again." So saying, she floated back to Lancelot, and covered him in her mist. The next instant, they disappeared.

I stared in disbelief. I had won the battle and lost the war. My Ginny was in London. She was alone, the old Doctor had left her there.

I left the fortress aimlessly. My men were cheering. Victory was ours. But for me victory was shorn of all gladness. I was King of Britain and I had nowhere to go. I was alone, and I missed Ginny. The echoes kept calling me home. Where was home? More importantly, when was home?

I saw it then. The TARDIS. It was standing in an empty street, all alone. I ran to it. The Doctor. How could this be? Unsure, I ran to the TARDIS. I wasn't alone. Every single person turned to the TARDIS and cheers erupted. Of course they cheered. Merlin had returned.

But when I opened the TARDIS, I got the shock of my life. It was empty. But that wasn't all. It wasn't just empty. It was dead. An abysmal appearance of decay was all over it. Rani was right. The Doctor had been defeated. The greatest man who ever lived. The Time Lord.

I sunk to the floor of the TARDIS and rested my head against the console table. Then I wept. My tears were in lament of everything that I had lost - my Ginny, who was facing her greatest nightmare alone… I never did tell her I had forgiven her… the Lady, who was now one with my Ginny… my people, to whom I could no longer return… for my Doctor… and, for the TARDIS…

But as my tears fell, a glow emerged from the depths of the TARDIS. An unearthly, divine glow, and my heart stopped. It was the most beautiful and awesome sight imaginable - so says Arthur, King of Britain. It was beyond anything I could imagine. It was paradise.

It was the Heart of the TARDIS. It opened before me, and I smiled. I had found Avalon.

The TARDIS was alive again. I had fueled it with my emotions, and it gave me power. The power from which the fabric of Time was weaved - the primeval power.

It wasn't over yet. Arthur's last song was in full blow, mightier and nobler than ever. I would go to London. I would save my Ginny. I would save the Doctor. For I had saved the TARDIS.

But first I had to bid farewell to my people… for the final time. There would be no return. No second strain. This was the last song.

I walked out, and people stared at me in wonder. I could see it in their eyes, the awe they felt. I could feel it in their hearts, the love they had for me. I could see their minds, the dread that my sight portended… they knew… It brought tears to my eyes. But I turned to Bors, the last of my knights.

"Will you forgive me for my harsh words all those years ago, my friend?"

"My King," Bors said, kneeling on one knee. "You need never apologize for anything. No matter what you say, I was and always will remain your man."

"That you were, Sir Bors," I said calmly. Then I turned to the people at large. I didn't have to raise my voice. It carried.

"I have brought you peace. You are free of Morgan's evil. She is gone for now. Build for yourself a Britain worthy of Arthur… but… I must go…"

My people were silent. They knew protests were of little use now. It was written in my face. I could never return. The circle had to be closed. The Doctor often said those words, and I knew what they meant.

But I also remembered the vows of a child. To always part with a promise.

"But do not grieve for me. I do not go to die. I go to find peace. In Merlin's domain, I have found Avalon… it is a place of rest, a place of healing. I go there, my friends. Do not grieve for me. Do not miss me. I have lived a full life among you. Now I need rest. But you who remain must carry on. You must live and find happiness. Remember my last song, and live… Live for Britain, and live for Arthur. Live, and do not weep, for I was your King, and always will remain so. Live, dwelling by my promise that I'll be back someday. I will be back."

"Arthur! Long Live the King! Long Live Arthur!"

"Long Live the Future King!"

I turned towards the TARDIS and started walking. I was ready to leave. My people were ready to see me leave. Lancelot had been defeated here, but he was back in London. And Ginny was alone. My Ginny. I missed her.

The echoes… they kept calling me home. And I knew where home was. Home was with my Ginny. It had always been.

"Take me home," I said to the TARDIS, and didn't need to press any buttons. I had seen its heart, as it had always seen mine. Torn apart by time and misunderstandings, we were one, Ginny and I. I loved her. I needed her. The Heart of the TARDIS had healed my own.

--------

**Chapter 22 - The Future King**

It was fixed the whole time. I realized this as I stepped out of the Blue Box. I had seen Avalon within the TARDIS, and was now back among my people. Whether or not they still thought me their king, mattered little. They were what made me a king in the first place. Without them, I was but merely Arthur. And without Ginny, I was just a lost child… and… without the Doctor… I was not even that… Without the Doctor, I was a mere freak.

They needed me, everyone I cared for, and I came to them. The TARDIS brought me back to Hogwarts. It looked much the same, but the people were different.

Battle was raging. Black robed men with white masks were all over the place. I saw an old man with a long white beard, and knew him to be Albus Dumbledore. He fought like a man possessed. I was reminded of Gavin after Gareth's death. But I didn't stop to aid him.

I then saw a middle aged brown haired man and a pink haired girl, fighting side by side. They fell. I felt something stir within me, as if I should have known him. The TARDIS told me his name. Remus Lupin, a friend of my father. I shook my head. The only father I knew was the Doctor. And the Doctor had no friends. He couldn't have any. It was his curse.

I saw younger people… closer to my age… redheads, a large number of them. Ginny's family. They fought bravely.

And then I saw her.

My Ginny. She was fighting Lancelot. Lancelot looked much older than he did a few minutes ago when I defeated him. He looked half a serpent, and I felt pity for what he had become. Others feared to even come close to him, but my Ginny didn't fear. I was proud of her.

I walked to them quietly, staying in the shadows. The unearthly gleam in my face was present but hidden by the carnage going on. In the din on battle, my arrival and presence was unnoted. I heard them speak.

"Guinevere, my love," Riddle was saying. "Ginny, my sweet, stop this nonsense and come to my side. You know we were meant to be together. Why else would you have found my diary? Why would you have come to my arms after being cast aside by Arthur?"

"Do not even say his name with your foul tongue," Ginny hissed with rage. "He is hundred times the man you ever were."

"Then why does he not come to your aid? Why does he allow to let you die? I will tell you why. He doesn't love you anymore, not after being twice betrayed."

His words crushed Ginny. Her wand slipped from her hand and her knees gave way. I would have run to her, but I did not. I still had a task to do. One final task. My last song was in its final beat. There was one last thing to do before I could be just Ginny's Harry.

"Arthur no longer cares about you, and the Doctor is unable to aid you. Your defiance is futile. Join me, or die."

Ginny laughed sourly. "You seem to have a pattern there, Lance. You lured me once as a diary, when I was missing Harry. Then you lured me when I grieved his leaving Hogwarts without me. Now, you try to lure me again. Your route to me has always been through my longing for him. Not this time. If I cannot have life with Arthur… with my Harry… then I choose death."

My heart broke at the grief in her voice. But it wasn't yet time. I had to wait until Morgan appeared. The TARDIS knew what to do.

"But you think it's your choice, my dear," Riddle hissed. "I shall have you by my side, whether you will it or not. Morgan!" he yelled.

A mist appeared around him, and the Time Lady glared at him in exasperation.

"Can't you fight a single battle on your own? I was in the middle of an interesting experiment with the muggle-born. What do you want?"

"I want that girl to be my slave for life," he hissed.

"Then why don't you use the Imperius Curse?"

"I want her to be aware, to know, to feel… I want her as you had the Doctor…"

Rani glared at Riddle. "Do not compare Gallifreyans to yourself, pitiful earthling. And the Doctor is not my slave. He is gone. Dead. Banished. Out of existence. He will never bother me again."

It was then that I struck. I raised my hand and the most primordial of all energies flowed out of the TARDIS, and through me as a conductor, it made an arch towards the Time Lady.

"Impossible," she screeched like a banshee, recognizing the beam for what it was.

"You forget," I called out, stepping into the light. "You forget the most important thing, Time Lady. The one thing I always remembered. The TARDIS is alive. It rides to the succor of the Time Lord."

"This is impossible! You are a mere earthling! This cannot be!"

The beam flowed around her and bound her. I could have killed her, but I didn't. She was the fallen one, but still one of the most ancient of beings. I had no right to end her life.

"I have always seen the TARDIS as my home, and the Doctor as my father," I said. "I am the Child of Time." I sent the final beam at her, knocking her to the ground.

"Arthur," Riddle screamed in distaste, looking at his mentor's state. "Very good. I will kill you here."

"Riddle," I called out in a voice filled with deathly calm. All activity had ceased around us. We were the center of attention in the field of battle. The Time Lady was bound in the energies of the vortex, and I shifted my attention to the man who brought about every single woe in my life. But I was Arthur, and my personal grief was not worth half as much as the suffering he brought to my people. "You have brought much grief to my land and my people. I cannot allow you to live. But you were once my friend, so I shall make the end swift and painless."

"You cannot kill me," he laughed joyously. "A prophecy was made. The only one who can kill me has vanished of the face of the earth."

I didn't say anything, but merely looked at him dispassionately. He still hadn't realized. He should have, he knew I was Harry. I waited for him to understand. I knew he would. And he did. I literally saw the implication of my silence click in his mind, and he took a step back. He knew my real name was Harry. He now knew I was Harry Potter. I took a step forward.

"I am Arthur, true King of Britain. I am Mordred, Destroyer of Arthur's Era. I am Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived."

Chaos erupted around me like a tide of voices, but I didn't listen. My song was fading, and I had to pay full attention to it.

The energies that merely captured Rani burnt Riddle to cinders. He was but a human. And to my great joy, the ring in his finger split open, and a misty figure appeared, solidifying slowly. It was the Doctor.

He looked at me with pride. And sadness. He ran to me. But I stopped him with my eyes. I knew what I had to do. The TARDIS told me. The Doctor could do it for me. He intended to do it for me. But I wouldn't let him.

"Doctor, I am closing the circle now. You know what that means," I said quietly. I noticed Ginny near me, yearning for a touch to try and find out if I was really there. But the energies of the vortex kept her distant. I was more than just human then.

"The predestination loop," the Doctor said with a nod. He was sad. Sad, that I had to hold such power in my hands. I, who had only ever wanted to be a bunny rabbit, held the power of God.

To hold the greatest power. To feel it. To become one with it. How can one return to normalcy afterwards?

But I had to do it. I did it. The circle was closed. Arthur's song was over, and I yearned to be simply Harry. But I had held the greatest power. I couldn't go back to that. I was so much more, and yet so much less. Then I saw Ginny and I knew what I could be, even if I couldn't be just Harry. I could be Ginny's Harry. That would be enough. I would go home.

I saw Ginny look at me with great longing, but keeping a distance. My final words rang in both our ears - it had to be my choice, and she dreaded what that would be. But it didn't matter anymore. I was her Harry. Her best friend. The man whom she married. I always had been. I told her that.

She collapsed against me and I held her. We both cried. It had been a long and tiring journey for us, but it mattered no more. It was over, and here at the end, I was with her. My Ginny.

Her family and Dumbledore had gathered around us. I let Ginny do the explaining, and I turned to my family.

He was standing all by himself, quietly.

"I took away the memories from Rose's mind after she held that power. I could do it for you too," he said.

I shook my head. "No. I now know what it is to be you, Doctor. Let me keep this much."

He nodded. He understood, he always did. I smiled.

Then he looked at me strangely.

I knew that look. It was what I gave my people when I knew I had to leave them for good. And I knew what he needed. He needed me to keep smiling. I did that, even though tears came to my eyes, but I didn't stop smiling. I could do that much for him… the man who made me smile…

Then he turned to the Time Lady, fastened but not secure, grit and judgment in his eyes. "Enough, Rani. It is time for the old order to collapse." So saying, he did something. I didn't see what, but both he and the Time Lady disappeared. The battle was over. Riddle was dead, and Rani was gone. But so was the Doctor.

Seeing their leaders defeated, the black robed men gave up. But I didn't take part in that. My song was over, and Ginny was in my arms.

Lunging forward, I feasted on her lips. They were delicious, even more so than I recalled. I don't think we cared for the large crowd that was around us. I didn't care. Not anymore. Arthur was gone. The circle had been closed. I was merely Harry. And for Harry, Ginny would always come before everyone else. I told her that. She cried against me. I didn't like that. I never got over my distaste towards people I care crying. So I patted her head.

She smiled, but I could still see a sorrow in her eyes. I knew what it was. I had heard Riddle's words. No matter what, she still hated herself for her unfaithfulness. Silly girl.

"Twice hurt," I told her. "But thrice beloved, I wouldn't have it any other way." And so it was. She smiled at me again and I kissed her once more. I didn't want to stop. I didn't.

---------

**Epilogue - The Granddaughter**

I looked at Sarah Jane Potter, my youngest grandchild. She had followed me into my journey in the Pensieve. I didn't know when she came, and I hadn't noticed her till the end, but there she was, keening silently in a corner of the room when I returned.

I sighed. I never did manage to get over that, so I walked to her and patted her head. She looked up with the eyes of her father and grandmother - Ginny's eyes. I smiled sadly.

"So much pain. So much sorrow," she moaned.

I held her tenderly. "And yet, so much joy." But she didn't understand. How could she.

"In the end, I could have changed it all. I could have closed the circle much earlier and made the future disappear. Harry would have led a happy life with his Ginny, but then Arthur wouldn't exist, nor would his last song. I wouldn't have looked into the TARDIS. I wouldn't have found Avalon. My dear Sarah Jane," I said. "I chose to live this life. Do not cry."

"Did you see him again?" She didn't need to say who. It was understood.

"No," I said. "When he left, he left for good. The time of the Time Lords was long over. The Doctor was the last of his kind, a perpetual wanderer, doomed to a life of solitude and sorrow. But his existence kept others bound to this reality, like Rani, but in a less than corporeal form. He had to go."

"I didn't miss him too much," I continued. "What I said was true. He is a part of me now."

"Do you miss her?" Silly girl, silly question, but that is youth for you.

"More and more with each passing day," I said quietly. I was old now, and my Ginny had left me yet again. But this time I couldn't blame her. I would be joining her soon, so the echoes promised.

I was lost again for a while, but I would be returning home soon. Home to Ginny, in Avalon. The echoes had promised.


End file.
